Stormy Waters
by No Tears
Summary: What if Barbossa knew that it would only take a small amount of blood to break the curse? What if he did not lose Will as a captive? What if he decided to take Will as his own lover after breaking the curse?
1. Bleeding Horizon

Title: Stormy Waters  
  
Author: No Tears  
  
Pairing: Will/Others, Will/Barbossa, Will/Jack  
  
Warning: First of all, MAJOR SPOILER WARNINGS FOR THE MOVIE!!! Got that? So if you haven't seen the movie and don't want anything about it given to you before you see it, don't read. Second of all, this is AU, because let's face it, Jack and Will would never get together like that. But we can dream, can't we? Slash, but I'm sure you already knew that. Also warnings for a fair amount of Will abuse and rape, but I don't know how graphic I'll get with that. It probably won't be that graphic at all, because I'm not sure I can write a rape scene like that. But it will be DEFINITE NON-CON!! Well, SOMEONE had to jump into this bandwagon. You know you'll be seeing more of these types of fics eventually.   
  
Author's Notes: I've only seen the movie once so far, so forgive me if I get anything wrong about it! Also, this won't be just plain sex. I couldn't possibly write just sex, and I plan to have a plot, thankyouverymuch.  
  
Rating: R. May go up to NC-17. Not sure, yet.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Obviously.  
  
Summary: (Might be considered a spoiler for the movie, too.) What if Barbossa knew that it would only take a small amount of blood to break the curse? What if he did not lose Will as a captive? What if he decided to take Will as his own lover after breaking the curse? (Yes, my summary sucks, I know.)  
  
  
  
Part 1  
  
  
  
  
The dank hull of the Black Pearl creaked and swayed as the ship steadily made its way back towards Isla de Muertes. The sun was fast setting, creating rays of blood red that cut across the sky and mingled with the cold white clouds. There was no sound on the deck, something unusual for the cursed crew. All had gone silent in anticipation that, after having their hopes risen and crashed at the escape of the Elizabeth girl, they would finally be able to lift the curse once and for all.  
  
Captain Barbossa stood, surveying his crew and the bleeding horizon that lay before him. Jack the monkey was sitting on his shoulder, the small animal having also ceased its chattering in favor of looking out over the sea. With a small sigh that sounded more like a growl, Barbossa turned to the hatch behind him, the one that led to below deck, where he was currently holding the prisoners he had gained off of The Interceptor. Most of that ship was now laying at the bottom of the sea after its explosive end.  
  
The door lifted with a creak, and he stepped onto the steps waiting under it. Surely the cabin below must have stunk like rotting corpses (and there had been quite a few down there in its history), but smell, like everything else, had been taken from him along with the gold medallions. He made a mental note to have a couple of the crew members come down here to clean later so that they wouldn't have to endure the stink after they got their senses back.  
  
His eyes gazed around the cabin, catching sight of the two cages set on either side of it. The one to the left contained quite a few prisoners, stuffed inside so that they had very little room to move. All from The Interceptor, and all looking unfit to still be pirating, save for one feisty woman who had put up quite a fight upon being forced into the cell. They were all watching him warily, and he stood straight, enjoying the power he had over them and the look of fear that sprang onto their faces as he neared.  
  
The cage across from them, one that stood to the right, only contained one prisoner. This one did not cringe back in fear as he came below deck. On the contrary, he did not appear afraid at all as he glared at Barbossa with hatred that seemed to light his eyes with the very fires of Hell. Dark chocolate hair fell in waves around his young, pretty face. Pretty, yes, but there was no doubt he could be lethal. Before seeing him, the boy had been pacing his cell, reminding Barbossa sorely of a large cat. A panther: strong, sleek, and graceful. A panther that would like nothing less than to rip him apart with its claws, to snap his neck with its teeth, and yet able to do nothing because he was helpless and captive on a ship filled with pirates who could not be hurt nor killed.  
  
Barbossa smiled, his face sinister, as he came near the boy's cage. "Will Turner, is it?" he asked, coming to stand just outside of the bars, close enough so that the boy could reach through the bars and grab him if he wished. It was a clear dare, and one that Bootstrap Bill's son looked ready to take. He read the desire in the young man's eyes, and his smile widened as his eyebrows rose. "Go ahead, boy." he sneered. "Try and strangle the life out of a man who has no life in him. See where that gets you." Barbossa even bared his neck in invitation, the monkey on him switching shoulders as it watched the proceedings with curiosity.  
  
Will bared his teeth in anger, making no move to attack the other as he himself stood near the bars, refusing to be cowed. Barbossa began to chuckle, and was cut off when Will spat in his face. The pirate looked surprised as he glanced down with a frown at the area below his neck where the saliva trailed down his skin. He scowled, then after a moment he gazed back up into the defiant eyes of his prisoner, then threw back his head and began to laugh loud and heartily.  
  
"Good, boy! Good." he said as he regained himself and once more looked back at the young man. "It wouldn't be as fun if ya didn't have any fire in ya." Using the sleeve of his clothes, he wiped the spit off of his collarbone. He raised an eyebrow and smiled once more. "Of course, you realize, I felt that about as much as I'd feel a bullet tear through me gullet, so there really was no point to that, was there?" The monkey squeaked a few times, as if in agreement.  
  
"It still made you angry." Will said, his voice low with hate. "You may not have felt it, but the feeling is not entirely what counts."  
  
Barbossa's smiled faded away. The boy had made a point, and knew it. "Well boy, in case you hadn't notice, there's not much reason to make me angry, seein' as you're a prisoner here."  
  
"A prisoner who's going to die as soon as we reach Isla des Muertes." Will growled.  
  
"Yes," Barbossa said, the end of his lips turning up yet again, "and the curse'll be lifted from us, thanks to the blood you'll so graciously be givin'."  
  
"Undead or not, you'll still be monsters." the younger man replied in a heated voice. "The scum of the earth."  
  
At this, the monkey began to screech in rage and jump up and down on Captain Barbossa's shoulder. The Captain himself glared at the captive, his dark eyes angry. "Scum, is it?" he asked with a slight tilt of his head. "I'll be showin' ya scum soon enough, boy. Maybe sooner, seein' as you've got a little too much fire."  
  
"Sir!" a deep voice called. Barbossa turned from Will to look up to find one of his burly crew members standing on deck above the open hatch. "We reach Isla de Muertes in a few hours."  
  
"Good." Captain Barbossa said, his face looking pleased as he moved back to the stairs. He began walking back up to deck, but paused midway with a glance back at Will. "Bring Mr. Turner up to my cabin." he said to the other pirate, his eyes still locked on the boy's. "I'd like to have a talk with him before we reach our destination." Barbossa's gaze moved from the younger man as he continued up the stairs. When he was next to the other pirate, he placed a hand on the man's shoulder and leaned in to his ear.   
  
"Oh, and, don't be too gentle with the lad."  
  
Captain Barbossa patted the other man on the shoulder, then walked away to survey how the rest of his crew was doing. The muscle-framed crew member watched him go, smiling in pleasure. He cracked his knuckles, pleased with the sound, then turned and called a few of his mates over to help. 

  


TBC...


	2. A Proposition

Title: Stormy Waters  
  
Author: No Tears  
  
Pairing: Will/Others, Will/Barbossa, Will/Jack  
  
Warnings: See first chapter! Also, I shall point out once again that this is an AU, and things go on to a different course than they did in the movie.   
  
Author's Notes: Hey well, I've seen the movie 4 times now. How the hell did I manage that, you wonder? I've got too many friends who weren't interested in it...and then slowly came around and decided they wanted to see it. I think I've had my fill of it now and am sated...but who knows? The want may flare up again and then I might end up go seeing it again. For now, though, I think I'll focus on writing my fics.   
  
**And I've decided to reply to reviews at the end of this chapter. Just thought that all of the people who did review would like to know that their comments are appreciated!!**  
  
Rating: R. May go up to NC-17. Not sure, yet.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Obviously.  
  
Summary: (Might be considered a spoiler for the movie, too.) What if Barbossa knew that it would only take a small amount of blood to break the curse? What if he did not lose Will as a captive? What if he decided to take Will as his own lover after breaking the curse? (Yes, my summary sucks, I know.)  
  
  
Part 2: A Proposition  
  
  
Will silently seethed as he sat bound to a chair in Barbossa's cabin and gagged. Two of the evil captain's henchmen stood at the wall behind him. He could feel their cold eyes on his back as they kept their gazes trained on his every move. Upon dragging him out of the cell, they had made it very clear that they had every inclination of being rough with him. When Will had attempted to resist, Barbossa's first mate, a huge pirate named Bo'sun, dealt him a blow to the stomach that had left him gasping for minutes. Having had to search for him for nearly a decade, all pity they might have had, if any, was washed away at the thought of his doom seeing their deliverance from the curse. And now he was being held down here, waiting for Barbossa to come. What reasons the pirate had for this were beyond Will.  
  
He found his thoughts turning to Elizabeth, as they always did. He had been forced down below deck before he had seen her reach the island. His heart brimmed with worry for her, hoping with every bit of himself that she made it safely to shore. The blacksmith tried to reassure himself, remembering that Jack was with her.  
_  
But then, that may be part of the reason I am so worried! _he thought. He knew, though, that Jack had no reason to harm Elizabeth, and that the pirate had enough honor to not do so. Will mentally rolled his eyes. _I have somehow convinced myself Jack has honor now.  
_  
If Elizabeth had just managed to make it to shore and could survive a few days, her commodore would no doubt come to her rescue. Will knew well of Norrington's feelings towards Elizabeth – a few times he had even thought he'd seen them returned. Norrington had most likely already proposed to Elizabeth, or given her an idea that he soon meant to. Will felt a pang in his heart at this thought, but resigned himself to the knowledge that it would be Norrington she married, not him._  
  
Well, Will, I__'d hate to break it you, mate, but you're hardly in a position to think about proposing yourself. _he thought as he gazed about the cabin. Jack had told him he was obsessed with treasure. He knew it was true. Obsessed with treasure that would for all time remain out of his reach, like when he was a little boy and would gaze through the glass windows of the shop and see the toy model boats that were much too much money for him to even think of buying. Elizabeth was much the same: he could gaze at her all he wanted, but she would forever remain behind the glass. He was going to die thinking about the woman he loved, the woman he could not have. In his mind, things could not be going any worse.  
  
Will knew that if Jack were there, he would readily and happily point out situations that would, in fact, be worse. Will did not know whether to roll his eyes or laugh at this thought. Even though he did not show it, the rogue pirate's antics – although most of the time seemed to ensure Jack's insanity – always lifted the crew's spirits, including Will's from time to time. But even as he had begun to warm up to Jack, the pirate had shown his true colors in Tortuga when, thinking the blacksmith could not hear, he had told Gibbs that they would be using Will for leverage against Barbossa..  
  
His thoughts were redirected when door to the cabin opened with a rush of cold air, revealing the haughty Captain Barbossa himself coming through the door. The pirate's skeletal form flashed for a moment before he stepped into the cabin and out of the moonlight. Will held the other's eyes before turning back to the table before him, feeling a slight shudder pass through him as the sight of the curse's effects lingered in his mind.  
  
The floorboards creaked as Barbossa moved towards him, stepping behind his chair so that had he even been watching him, Will would have not been able to turn far enough to see the captain's face. The room was entirely silent, the only sounds being the loud breaths of his captors and the slightly wheezing breaths that he himself took when the pain in his stomach would occasionally return. A hand lightly touched the side of his face and he violently jerked away in surprise, his chair dragging to the side at the abrupt movement and almost tilting over. The only advantage in this was that he could now look up and see the black-hearted captain's eyes, and he put as much loathing into his gaze as he could muster.  
  
The pirate's gaze was, for the most part, blank, although it appeared that there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He put his hand back down at his side and without a word stepped around the table to sit in the chair across from Will, who was keeping his eyes trained warily on his enemy. When the captain finally did speak, it was with a smirk.  
  
"Enjoyin' our hospitality, lad?" Will glared in response, unable to do anything else. "Oh, excuse me." Barbossa said. "Gentlemen," And Will mentally scoffed at the word, "please give back Mr. Turner his speakin' privileges."   
  
The two pirates behind him came forward and untied the cloth, pulling on it a little harder than necessary when they tore it from his mouth. Will's eyes remained locked on Barbossa. He was silent.  
  
"Not too chatty now, are ye?' Barbossa asked, clearly speaking in remembrance of Will's actions when he had heard they were going to maroon Elizabeth. The boy had gone into a rage when the pirate captain had given the command, thrashing and cursing at Barbossa so much that the pirate had ordered the boy gagged out of annoyance.  
  
He put a hand on the silver basket of apples on the on the table and pushed it towards Will. "Apple?" he asked with a grin.  
  
Will suppressed a growl of rage. His wrists were bound behind him and to the chair; he could not take an apple even if he wished to.  
  
"No?" Babossa asked, taking the basket back and drawing a particularly green apple into his hand. He began tossing it from one hand to the other. "I'm sure you'll be forgivin' me, but I'm not too inclined on having ye untied."  
  
"Bastard," Will finally said, "if you've only brought me out here to taunt me, you're wasting your time."  
  
Barbossa seemed to have gained great interest in his apple as he passed it back and forth between his hands. "Bastard, eh?" he asked, his eyes moving back to Will's after a moment, eyebrows raised. "Well, I guess you an' me'd be in the same boat on that one. Didn't mean ta kill yer dear ol' dad, boy." He looked thoughtful for a moment, before giving the smile that sent chills down Will's spine. "Wait, no. I did mean it."   
  
"You killed him?" Will hissed, making his rage clear on his voice. "You were the one who killed my father?"  
  
"Aye, gave the order meself for them to drop him down into Davie Jones' Locker." Barbossa looked pleased with himself. "Your father was a good man, lad, make no mistake 'bout that. Good, but weak. Always traipsin' around tellin' the crew we had to honor our enemies. Bunch of codswallop that were. If you're a pirate, boy, then ye've got ta act the pirate, 'cause I guarantee ya there ain't no nobles out there who'll not give a pound to hang one."  
  
"You _deserve _to be hanged." Will said, a new hate filling his eyes with the knowledge that his father's murderer sat before him. "All of you. Once the curse is lifted I hope you'll all be shot by Commodore Norrington's men."  
  
Barbossa set the apple back in its place among the others with a sigh. "I'd been hopin' that you'd decide ta keep yer trap shut, lad. Ye've got far too much of a mouth on you for yer own good."  
  
Barbossa snapped his fingers, and soon after Will found the cloth being shoved back into his mouth and tied behind his head. He clenched his hands into fists, knowing he could do nothing to resist.  
  
Barbossa seemed to settle back in his chair as he eyed his companion once more. "Now, I've got a bit of a proposition to make for ye, now that you're more willin' ta listen." Will's brow furrowed in confusion. "Y'see, what I said before about killin' ye, it ain't entirely necessary. I was goin' to do it more on principal than anythin'. In truth, only a bit of blood is needed to lift the curse, so you needn't die." Barbossa clasped his hands together before himself. "You really are the spittin' image of yer father, boy. 'Cept yer eyes. Musta got those from yer mother." The pirate cleared his throat. "Gettin' to the point... I'd be willin' ta let you live, if ye'll be my consort."  
  
Will was completely unprepared for this, and was absolutely shocked at the words. After the initial reaction, he couldn't help but back up his chair in disgust, suddenly wanting nothing more than to get as far away from Barbossa as possible. The pirate captain saw this, but did not look offended by it. Instead, that horrible smile returned to his features.  
  
"Before you go an' decide death, boy, hear the rest of what I've got ta say. If you'll be my consort, I won't be killin' ya, _and_ I'll go back to that deserted island to pick up your lass and make sure she gets home safe and sound."  
  
Will's eyes turned to the table before him as his mind raced frantically to absorb all that he had just been told. To be forced to be the lover of this man for any amount of days was one situation he would give almost anything to escape. He had seen only fleetingly the looks of lust Barbossa had for him, and wondered what was running through the evil pirate's mind now as he looked upon Will with that frightening smile. But for Elizabeth to be rescued...that was one of the things he most wished for at the moment, aside from wanting her to love him as he loved her. His thoughts were in a hurricane of turmoil, but it abruptly came to a stop. The decision to make was obvious. He'd die for Elizabeth. He'd even take a fate worse than death.  
  
Noticing that the boy's attention was on him once more, Barbossa raised his eyebrows. "So what's it ta be, boy? Is yer kind heart rulin' ya on this decision?"  
  
Will was still for a moment, not yet entirely realizing that he was sealing his fate. But he pushed everything aside in thought of Elizabeth, and nodded hesitantly.  
  
Barbossa looked both surprised and thrilled. "Ye'll be doin' it, then?" he asked, and Will could hear with further disgust his effort to conceal his eagerness.  
  
Closing his eyes, Will forced himself to nod again.  
  
Captain Barbossa's eyes lit up with a strange gleam. "We'll be havin' a deal, then." he said.  
  
He nodded to the two pirates behind the boy, and they moved forward to untie Will's wrists, showing more care than they had previously done. The blacksmith reached up and pulled the gag from his face, throwing the foul cloth to the side. Captain Barbossa had stood and was now walking around the table, coming to stand next to Will. The younger man gazed up at him.  
  
"We're goin' ta shake on it, jus' so nothing's mistaken between us." He held out his hand, which was covered in grime and looked like it hadn't been washed for years. Which was probably the case. "In shakin' my hand you agree to be my consort and in return I'll be savin' yer lady friend from a horrible death on that deserted island. Agreed?"  
  
Once again, Will found himself hesitating. Elizabeth may have been on a deserted island, but if she lived long enough, she could be rescued. But then, she _was _on a deserted island, and the commodore and his crew could very well pass it up without ever knowing it. Or they could find the remains of The Interceptor and just assume her dead. There were also several other dangers that could get to her first, such as thirst and heat stroke.  
  
His eyes set with both defeat and determination, Will slowly raised his hand to the pirate captain's, struggling not to pull back when the other's larger hand closed around his. It felt warm. They shook, and Barbossa's cold laugh filled the cabin.  
  
"The deal is set, then." He moved to the door. "I'll be enjoyin' yer company, boy." He turned towards his men outside, shouting. "Continue on, men! Tonight, we break the curse!" This was met by a round of cheers from the undead crew, and the monkey, having been absent, now made his way back to his master and jumped on his shoulder.  
  
Will was still as a scowl made it's way onto his face. Then his anger flared and he was out of his seat, rushing at Barbossa. Something slammed over his shoulders, sending him stumbling to his knees with a small cry of surprise. His arms were grabbed harshly and he was pulled to his feet, restrained by the two pirates who had been guarding him. He twisted furiously in their grasp.  
  
"You said we'd go back for her!" he bit out at Barbossa's back.  
  
The pirate captain turned and walked back to his struggling captive. "I said that in _return _I'll be savin' the lass. Your part of the bargain has to be fulfilled first."  
  
"She'll be dead before we reach her!" Will snarled. "What good will your bargain be then, Barbossa?"  
  
Barbossa moved closer to Will, his yellow tinged eyes piercing into the boy's. "Don't fret, lad. I'm sure she'll be only half dead at worst when we reach her."  
  
"You can't be sure of that!" Will gave a harsh jerk at the hands holding him, which seemed to only further amuse Captain Barbossa.  
  
"If I'll be goin' back to get her tonight, ye'll have to do something in return for me, seein' as that wasn't part of our agreement."  
  
Will growled. "Bastard!"  
  
"Yes, ye've called me that already." Barbossa had a bored tinge to his voice. "Now boy, what's it going ta be?"   
  
Will's anger did not abate, but he stopped struggling against the men holding him. "What do you want from me?" he asked, his voice more calm now.  
  
"That's the kind of attitude I'll be wantin' from ye." he said, patting the boy's shoulder. "What says ye, in exchange for the early rescue, ye become the crew's new cabin boy as well?"  
  
Will's eyes widened at this, but he knew even before he was told that he would do whatever Barbossa wanted of him if it would save Elizabeth. "I'll agree to your terms." he said softly.  
  
The evil pirate captain chuckled deep in his throat. "I knew ye would." He then turned back to his crew. "Take Mr. Turner back to his cell." he commanded.  
  
The two pirates complied, dragging an unusually subdued Will back to the cabin below deck. Captain Barbossa watched them, smiling once again. The boy was his now, and nothing could stop him from living the rest of his life in heaven.  
  
  
TBC...  


  


*Review Replies*

  


mortified (which is not your real penname, I just needed something to go by) – I apologize if you are offended by this fic, even if I should not have a reason to. There is no way that I could possibly 'kill the movie,' as you put it. You'll have to come to realize that slash happens to nearly every fandom, and since I gave every indication that I would be writing a slash story, there is no real excuse for you to come and just flame. You should have just passed this story up if it was not to your taste. There are some people who enjoy slash. Actually there are MANY people who enjoy slash and, despite your review, I'm afraid that it will not be enough to shut down this story. And even if it was, I can guarantee you that there are plenty of writers out there with slash story ideas in their heads. My only advice is this: Read the warnings on a story. Read them thoroughly to make sure that you will not be about to read one that you do not like. That way you will not be compelled to write something that may some day really hurt a person.

  


Hotpants333 – Glad to hear that this story managed to pull you in. I hope that this chapter has not averted your interest. Thanks for the feedback!

  


Alectra – Yes, there shall be plenty of Will angst in this fic. There will be a major OC character in this (a MALE villain), but nothing like a mary-sue. ::shudders:: I will shoot myself in the head before I write a mary-sue. You flatter me with your comments! Thanks very much and hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well.

  


Jedi Master Calriel – Yeah, fanfiction.net has a habit of not letting me in on the first try to. Or the second. Usually I have to try and sign in about 5 times before it finally lets me. But I thank you for your comments and hope that you are still following it!

  


Leap of fate – I love angst, and there will be plenty of it in this fic for all of the characters. I'll agree with you that it is the best genre. Thank you for reviewing!

  


Melanie – Well...reviewing here too, are you? ::grins:: Well, I'll be updating quicker on AFF.net than here, just to let you know. FF.net seems to have too many technical difficulties when I try and update my stories. Thought you might like to know that. Also, I went to your bio page and happened to go to your website and began to read "On the Run." I think it's a great story and am eagerly awaiting the next chapters to it! As well as the story "The Price of Fame," which Dollrandir showed to me on your LJ. I can't believe I missed those great stories! You're an excellent author!!

  


Pointy-Eared Archer – Yeah...had to use my friend's (Dollrandir) livejournal to get that story on pirategasm...since I don't have any codes to make one myself. Yes, a Will/Barbossa fic...something that I surprised myself on when I decided to do it! Despite that...I do plan to clean up Barbossa a bit before anything happens... And I did post the second chapter on pirategasm already. I'll be posting the story on there and adultfanfiction.net before they come to fanfiction.net, because I find that ff.net is the biggest hassle of the three to post on. That's good that you're hooked! Now let's see if we can reel you in, hmmm? ::grins::


	3. Stormy Waters Ahead

Title: Stormy Waters

  


Author: No Tears

  


Pairing: Will/Others, Will/Barbossa, Will/Jack, Will/Elizabeth (only in thoughts), Elizabeth/Norrington, Jack/Anamaria (implied) 

  


Warnings: See first chapter! Also, I shall point out once again that this is an AU, and things go on to a different course than they did in the movie. 

  


Author's Notes: Well, I'm guessing that pairings can be placed for those people in the story NOT engaging in sexual activities (or at least, not ones that will be written), so I've put a few more pairings that I plan on having up...but only the first three will actually have the sex between them written. 

  


There's not much going on in this chapter (or maybe there is) but it's setting everything up for the next chapter...much Will and Jack angst! I thought it was just going to be Will suffering my wrath...but turns out that not even Jack will be able to escape it...oh boy...

  


Also, I would have updated this earlier today, but my computer was being weird and not letting me online for more than a few seconds at a time. ::shakes head:: 

  


Rating: R. May go up to NC-17. Not sure, yet.

  


Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Obviously.

Summary: (Might be considered a spoiler for the movie, too.) What if Barbossa knew that it would only take a small amount of blood to break the curse? What if he did not lose Will as a captive? What if he decided to take Will as his own lover after breaking the curse? (Yes, my summary sucks, I know.)

Replies to reviews are at the end of the chapter. 

  
  


Part 3: Stormy Waters Ahead

  
  


Anamaria sat with her back against the edge of her prison, her eyes downcast as she listened to the sound of the ship creaking and the heavy breathing of her fellow pirates. A few times she would raise her head to make eye contact, but they rarely spoke. Despite what many have might thought, the fact that Jack was stranded on an island and facing certain death weighed heavily on their minds. The rogue pirate had shown them again the thrill of the sea, had shown them what it was like to live again. Anamaria was not sure what she was going to do when she got back to Tortuga. She knew her soul would feel much unrest after this little adventure, which had mended her pirating spirit. A spirit that had been broken years ago. 

  


The sound of clunking boots echoed down into their temporary holding space, and a few of the pirates around her let their heads lolled back as they pretended to be asleep. Anamaria gave them a look as they did this, wondering what in the world they hoped to achieve from doing something stupid like that. But she said nothing to voice her opinion as she turned herself around to see two pirates who dragging the boy, Will Turner, back down below deck. 

  


Anamaria watched, her eyes unreadable as Bootstrap's son was harshly shoved back into his cell. The force of the push was enough to send the young blacksmith stumbling to his hands and knees onto the hard wooden floor as the door slammed shut behind him and locked. One of the cursed pirates gave a wheezing laugh at the boy before following his companion up the stairs. The woman pirate watched them as they left, then immediately turned her eyes back to Will.

  


The boy had not moved from his position on the ground. His dark hair was cascaded around his bowed head, concealing his face from her view. He was deathly still, the only indication that he was yet alive was the slight rise in fall of his back as he drew breath. Curiously and with a bit of concern, Anamaria moved herself closer to the bars, placing her dark hands on them as she watched him.

  


Behind her, she could hear the snoring of the "sleeping" pirates. Others were pretending to not be looking at the boy, but could not help the glances they would send his way. The only other one who was not bothering to hide the fact that he was watching Will was Gibbs, and even then, the man was silent. This puzzled Anamaria. Out of any of them, Gibbs would be the one to talk, and when she met his eyes, she knew he had just as many questions as she. But the old man said nothing, apparently at a loss as to what to do.

  


The sound of cloth sliding across wood made her eyes jump back to Will. The young blacksmith had moved himself over to the far side of the shadows of his cell and was now sitting against the wall, hands on his knees and face upturned as he stared at the ceiling. Any action Anamaria may have taken was paused as she caught sight of the expression of hopelessness on Will's face. It was entirely strange, because even after Jack and that lass he fancied were made to walk the plank, the boy had still shown some of that fiery spirit. Now, it seemed as if it had all somehow been drained out of him, and she wondered what had happened during his meeting with Captain Barbossa to make him change as such. 

  


Anamaria pressed her lips together tightly as she watched Will, hoping that he would look up or at least acknowledge her presence. The boy did not appear keen on that at all, and looked as if he wanted nothing more than to be left alone. But Anamaria's mother had always told her that sometimes a person in low spirits needed to be talked to, even if they didn't wish it. As long as you said the right things, you were capable of making that person's mood brighten. And the boy had traded in his life for their own. Even being a pirate, Anamaria felt she owed him something.

  


"Will?" She almost winced at the sound of her voice. It was loud in the eerie silence of the cabin.

  


She watched the boy carefully, gazing over his body, his eyes, searching for any indication that he had heard her. The blacksmith made no move, his eyes not even flickering from their spot on the ceiling to which they were locked on. Hands remained limp on his knees, with no twitch of a finger or any other sign of shifting. 

  


Anamaria sighed at his lack of reaction, her voice tinged lightly with exasperation when she spoke once more. "Come on, Will. I've done nothin' to deserve you shuttin' me out like this."

  


She watched as the boy let out a sigh of his own, his head coming down as he closed his eyes. His hands balled into fists. "What do you want?" He opened his eyes and looked at her, and she could not help but feel a twinge in her heart at how weary with grief his voice sounded.

  


She knew her expression was sympathetic when she continued. "Tell me what's wrong."

  


Anamaria watched as his eyes moved to scan over the pirates around her. As she listened herself, she could hear that the ones snoring had gone noticeably quieter since she began talking. She knew that the boy had noticed as well, and could tell that they were not really sleeping.

  


Will's eyes met hers again, and then he looked away. "Nothing's wrong." he said bluntly.

The pirate could not help the smile that came onto her face at this. "Stubborn boy," she said, "you're not a very good liar, you know that? Must run in your family." She saw his hands ball tighter and his jaw clench at this last sentence, and silently cursed herself when she realized that was not a very good thing to say. "Now tell me what's wrong," she continued, "you're not acting yourself.

  


The young blacksmith sighed, his head hitting the wall with a dull thud as he rested it back against the wood and gazed up at the ceiling once more. "Barbossa decided to strike a deal with me." he said softly. 

Once again the volume of the snoring from the pirates pretending to be asleep lessened as they tried to listen in on the conversation. Anamaria ignored them as she gazed at the lone prisoner within the other cell. "What kind of a deal?"

  


The young man was silent for a few moments before replying. "He told me that if I agreed to his terms that he'll let me live," His eyes turned back to her. "And he'll go back to the island and rescue Elizabeth."

  


One of the "sleeping" pirates suddenly let out a rather loud snort, while the others who hadn't bothered to pretend they were asleep all gathered as close to the edge of their prison as they could. Anamaria turned and glared at the one who had snorted, but when she turned back to Will he didn't appear to care about that or the fact that most of them were now staring at him with wide eyes.

  


"By the devil, boy!" exclaimed Gibbs. "How did you manage to get that blood-sucker to do that?"

  


To all of their astonishment – and Anamaria's further concern – a smile came upon the young blacksmith's face. "You're looking at the new cabin boy of the Black Pearl." he said, and Anamaria feared that the boy was losing it.

  


The pirates who had been pretending to sleep bothered with this silly ruse no longer as they shot up and let out stunned gasps with the rest of the prisoners. Gibbs was the first to recover, and Anamaria gazed at him as he spoke.

  


"Ye're daft, boy!" he shouted. "Ain't no worse fate you could sell yerself to than to agree to slave away on this here ship for yer whole life."

  


"I'd do anything for Elizabeth." the boy said. They all knew it was true.

  


"You're damning yourself." Anamaria said. "And you're doing it for a woman who doesn't even love you." 

  


Will visibly flinched at this, and the woman pirate once again berated herself. She had been trying to comfort the boy, not make him more miserable! But too much pirate's blood flowed through her veins, making her see no reason for the boy's selflessness.

  


"Ye really are yer father's son, Will." Gibbs said, a broad smile on his face. "Only Bootstrap would do something crazy as that."

  


The parrot on the pirate Cotton's shoulder squawked out, "Stormy waters ahead!"

  


Anamaria watched Gibbs glanced at Cotton and his parrot appreciatively before looking back at Will. "Cotton says ye're father would be mighty proud of ye. Aye, he would, ain't there no doubt abou' that."

  


Will was completely silent, and Anamaria knew that for now, this conversation had ended. It would be no good to further press the lad. But for some reason, there seemed to be more wrong with him, something that he had not told them yet. She was curious, but she respected his privacy, as did the rest of the crew. Eventually, they were all silent again, as if the previous talk had never taken place. She could not help but glance back at the blacksmith, and she felt sympathy eat at her heart as she imagined she saw a tear run down a lightly tanned cheek.

  
  


**********

  
  


Elizabeth Swann could not help but sigh in relief as she pulled up the white trousers she'd been lent. It felt so good to be back into dry and clean clothes after spending the past day in a damp bodice. She'd also ran a brush through her hair a few times, tying part of it back into a braid so that it would be out of her face when the wind blew into it. She glanced into the mirror as she passed, making sure she at least looked presentable to the men outside. Deciding that this would have to do for now, she moved towards the door 

  


She stepped out of the Governor's cabin, glancing around and finding that no one was really paying attention to her. She began making her way across the Dauntless towards the helm, being sure to avoid the eyes of her father and the Commodore. Being surrounded by grown men and dressed in men's clothing made the task easier than it would have been had she instead been a taller woman or clothed in a flashy dress. That, and the fact that her father and the Commodore seemed to be deep in conversation. One look at the smile on both their faces and she knew that they must be discussing plans for the wedding of herself and Commodore Norrington. 

  


_Please. For me. As a wedding gift._

  


She had spoken the words out of desperation, unwilling to just turn around without even trying to rescue Will. He had risked everything to come out and save her, and was going to pay the ultimate price. Her heart was torn now, for she knew that she yet had feelings for Will. But that could no longer be, as she had now given herself up to be the wife of Norrington. For the past hour she had been looking over her choice, and she realized that it was probably the best thing to do.

  


Her love for Will had only been blossoming recently, as while the boy was a blacksmith she had no real interest in him. Now that she had learned he was a pirate, her love had come on strong, but it had faltered when she realized that the fact he was a pirate was the only reason she had ultimately fallen for him. Will didn't deserve that in a wife, even though she knew he would protest did he know of her feelings. Norrington _was_ a fine man, after all, and surely her father would see it more fit for her to marry someone of such high ranking. 

  


Will's status in Port Royale was low, and he was often given less credit than deserved. He had been somewhat of an outcast when younger, being an orphan and of no great blood among nobles. Elizabeth's father had often looked down on her association with the boy, telling her that a lady such as herself should not spend so much time in the company of commoners. She had watched Will grow as she did, and they grew apart – or at least, she grew apart from him. Their visits with each other became less frequent, with her attending to the duties of being the Governor's daughter while Will locked himself away in the blacksmith shop, making swords and rarely coming out into the light of day. In fact, when she had seen him the day he had delivered the sword to be given to Norrington upon his promotion, it had been the first time they'd been together in more than a month.

  


Yes, marrying Norrington would truly be the better course, and it would leave Will unbound by the restrictions of being wed to her. She hoped that when they rescued Will, he would think about leaving Port Royale. The people there did not acknowledge his worth, and he could do so much better elsewhere. Granted, after this escapade he'd gone on he would certainly be viewed as more than just a blacksmith, but she also feared that he would face further scorn back in Port Royal along with the knowledge that his father was a pirate becoming known.

  


Elizabeth's eyes rose up, and she spotted Jack Sparrow standing by the man currently at the helm. The pirate had his strange compass out, occasionally glancing at it for a moment and sometimes saying a few words to the navigator that she could not hear from her spot below. Behind Sparrow stood two soldiers who were standing watch over the devious pirate. She could see their hands tense on their guns each time the man moved, and one just barely held himself back from getting the weapon into position when Jack had done a particularly wild gesture with his hands.

  


Glancing behind her to make sure that no one was paying attention to her and that her father was still engaged in conversation with the Commodore, Elizabeth climbed her way up the steps to the area where the helm stood. Clearing her throat to gather the attention of the men there, she held her head high as she walked over to it. 

  


"May I have a moment?" Elizabeth asked, gazing pointedly at the two soldiers.

  


"Sorry, Miss." one said. "Under orders from the Commodore we are. Mr. Sparrow's not allowed out of our sight."

  


"It's for your own safety." the other added.

  


"Then may I at least speak with him?" she said, her voice clearly showing her irritation at these limitations placed upon her.

  


The two soldiers looked at each other, silent as they appeared to be trying to find something to say that would be a logical enough reason why Elizabeth couldn't speak with the pirate. One opened his mouth as if to say something, but closed it soon after. They glanced at each other again, and Elizabeth crossed her arms as her impatience rose. Finally one turned to her and spoke.

  


"Well–I–uh....I suppose it would be all right." he said with a shrug.

  


Elizabeth gave them an irritated look. "Thank you." she said, stepping up beside Jack.

  


"You're fiance's a real catch, he is." Jack said sarcastically, lowering his voice so that the two soldiers flanking him would not catch all of what he was saying.

  


Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "I'd appreciate it if you would not judge my choice in husband, Mr. Sparrow." The lack of his first name in her words made it clear that she wanted that subject dropped right away. 

  


Jack gave her a toothy grin, flashing his mouth full of gold. "Of course, my Lady." he said with a small bow. "So to what reason do I thank for this honor to be once more in your presence?"

  


"I was wondering how much longer it is going to take us to reach Isla de Muertes."

  


Jack looked at his compass and gave a small sigh. "Well, Miss Elizabeth, it's a bit tough to say. The Dauntless is a good ship, true enough, but you've seen the speed that the Black Pearl possesses. Not even your Interceptor could outrun it." 

  


"But you said that it was unlikely the Black Pearl would be making good time!" she cried, uncaring of the two soldiers who jumped in surprise at her sudden outburst. 

  


"That I did." Jack said, wincing and rubbing the ear that she had just screamed into. "But if you figure, making good time for the Black Pearl is abnormally fast as it is. Even damaged, the Black Pearl is a formidable ship in speed. I merely said what I did so we'd have the chance to go after it."

  


"Are you saying that we're not going to catch them, then?" Her voice cracked in both fury and despair. "All of this is going to be for nothing?"

  


"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Jack said. "It's just that I don't want to get your hopes up, darlin'. There's plenty a chance we'll reach them in time."

  


"What makes you say that?" she asked as she tried to regain some of her composure.

  


Jack raised a finger as he spoke. "Y'see, there's one more item that has to be considered before the crew of the Black Pearl breaks their curse. When they spill the blood, there can be no sunlight coming down upon Isla de Muertes, and if you'll look up–" And at this he pointed skyward. "--you'll see that the clouds are beginning to break. The Black Pearl will have to wait until sun down before they can act. Which leaves us with plenty of time to reach the island and rescue Mr. Turner."

  


"You're sure?" Elizabeth asked with a scowl.

  


"Darling," Jack began with one of his more charming smiles, "I know that ship like the back o' me hand. Trust me."

  


"Trust a pirate." she muttered, folding her arms.

  


"I know." Jack said as he glanced at his compass. "What's this world coming to, eh?"

  
  


********** 

  
  


True to Jack's word, sunlight had burst through the clouds for the greater portion of the day, and it was nearly nightfall when the Dauntless finally came upon the Isla de Muertes. Elizabeth was becoming extremely anxious as she paced the Governor's cabin. She mentally willed the ship to hurry, praying that they would reach Will in time. They just had to. She did not know how she would live with herself afterwards with the knowledge that it was her foolish actions that led to Will's death.

  


The sound of shouting reached her ears from outside, and her first instinct was to head straight for the back window and gaze out of it. The sun was just sinking into the horizon, but more importantly, she found that the water below was quite still. 

  


The ship had stopped.

  


Turning around, she hurried to the door of the cabin and rushed through it. Her eyes darted around the ship, then to Isla de Muertes. The site of the familiar land was enough to send chills down her spine as she remembered her recent visit to it. Renewed shouting caught her ears and she was forced to look away from the island in favor of finding the source of the noise. Her eyes caught a glimpse of Jack, before the thump of something hard hitting flesh reached her ears and the pirate disappeared below a mass of bodies. 

  


Her eyes widened when she realized that Jack had been struck to the ground, and ran forward in fear and rage. "Stop!" she cried as she moved to the group and began to fight her way through. "Stop this at once! Move aside!"

  


"Nobody move!" came the commanding voice of Commodore Norrington.

  


The soldiers obeyed, creating a shield from which Elizabeth could not break through. In a very un-ladylike fashion, she pounded on the back of the nearest soldier. Her hand was suddenly grasped and she was forced to spin around and meet the eyes of the man she was to marry. Making her fury clear in her eyes, Elizabeth wrenched her wrist from his grasp.

  


"What is the meaning of this cruelty?" she demanded, motioning to the group of soldiers.

  


The Norrington appeared unfazed by her anger. "Mr. Sparrow has been lying to us, Miss Swann. He deserves punishment for wasting our time with incorrect coordinates as to where the Pearl is heading."

  


"He didn't give us incorrect coordinates!" she exclaimed. "I recognize this island. This is the island the pirates brought me to so they could break the curse!" 

  


"Then tell me, Miss Swann, where are they, exactly?"

  


Elizabeth scowled. "What do you mean?"

  


"I mean, dear Elizabeth, that we've searched the entire perimeter of this island, and nowhere have we seen any sign of any ship. The Black Pearl is not here, nor is Mr. Turner." He gave a sigh tinged with disappointment. "We've come here for nothing."

  
  


TBC...

  


(Well, I'm sure some of you saw that coming. ::smirks::)

  
  


*Review Replies* 

  


Pointy-Eared Archer – Gah...and to be condemned to reading only fics of self-inserts and original characters could be a gruesome fate indeed... Well, there's Jack's first appearance for the story, even if he's seemed to have gotten farther instead of closer to Will...Yes, he WILL have to be in the presence of Will for this story in order for the pairing to occur...it's not gonna just be naughty thoughts...heh. Yeah...I find it a hassle to post the story in more than one place (I'm currently posting it in 5 different places) but the reviews are the reason I do...I like to be encouraged to write. It's...encouraging... ::grins stupidly:: Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

  


Marianne – Yes, Will is hot, isn't he? ::smirks:: I could go on and on about how sexy he is...but I'll spare you and won't! Thank you for reviewing!

  


Elf-Formally-Known-as-Legolas – Yes... I don't think I could write a fic where Will actually is willing to be Barbossa's partner...and I love reading and writing non-con, so yeah. I'm afraid I won't be able to make the story very graphic here, or else fanfiction.net is liable to delete it. But if I do make it graphic (which might be likely now that I've figured a few things out) the graphic parts will be on adultfanfiction.net. And you're not sick...well, if you are, then I am too...and so are hundreds of other fans out there...but then, being sick would not necessarily be a bad thing, eh? ::winks::

  


Pike – Yes, there will be much angst in this story, for nearly all characters...and especially Will and Jack...and dear William, I'm afraid is going to be receiving the blunt of my wrath. ::laughs evilly:: Thank you for reviewing!

  


WildfireFriendship – Yes, don't worry, I am fully aware of the consequences of putting a NC-17 fic up on FF.net. Actually, I will be making sure that anything that goes over the line and into NC-17 will not be posted here, but at another website called adultfanfiction.net. I also update faster there too, since it's less of a hassle compared to updating the story here. Thank you for your comments, they're greatly appreciated!

  


Static-X-fan – Thanks! Yes, with PotC coming out, it's now the time to get the original fics out before all the good ideas are taken... Happy that you liked the fic!

  


Hotpants333 – Yes, angsty slash is great, and there will be plenty of it in this fic. ::smirks:: Thank you for reviewing!

  


Fishgirl – Yes, it's great that so many people are putting effort into their work of writing these characters... Thank you for the review!

  


Jedi Master Calriel – Yes, you've got right on it, as you can see from this chapter. And also yes, Barbossa's not going to just let Will go because of that little problem. I will tell you that I am not planning to post the NC-17 parts of this story on FF.net, but on another website called adulfanfiction.net. It might be better to read the story there, also, since I update there faster than I do here. I will have chapters focused on Jack/Will and will do some descriptions on how Jack feels about Will's situation...but that might not be for a few chapters yet...or maybe more. Thank you for reviewing! They always make my day and are great encouragement.

  


Alisha – I'm honored that you think it's well written! Thank you for reviewing!

  


Kwarero Faerie – Yes, there was plenty of slashy ideas roaming through my head after seeing that movie! And the way Jack spoke of Will's father and his actions towards Will made for many possibilities. Thank you for reviewing!

  


Rei Tamashii – Well, I'm glad that you found this story and thanks for your comments!

  


L-Sama – Thanks! It's always nice to know someone likes your story.

  


True-Slytherin-gurl – Thank you for your review!

  


Sakura and Yugi-chan – Ah well, there has to be at least one person in every fandom who passes up the warning and flames the story with out any justification (if there is such a thing for flaming) for doing so. Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

  


Eck – I'm glad that you like my portrayal of Captain Barbossa! I'm finding that it's very fun to write him...ha ha! Thank you for commenting. I always like finding that someone thinks my stories are well written.

  


Coldfiredragon – Yes, I agree, Will was just begging for me to write an angsty fic with him as the centerpiece for my wrath...it can be quite fun to make the characters suffer. Jack, on the other hand...Well, it may be a little harder for me to write angst for him, but I've already figured something out for him... ::rubs hands together fiendishly:: Thank you for the review!

  


Amanda – Yes, pretty boy angst is great! Ha ha! Thank you for your comments!

  


Shypt – Don't worry, you didn't sound bossy at all! I'm glad that you like this story and hope that you will continue to read! Thanks for the review!

  


Leap of fate – Well, as you can see, Jack is now in the story, even though he's not in the same area as Will, yet. I hope that this chapter met up to your expectations as well! Thank you for reviewing!

  


Legolas – Yes, great minds do think alike! Which is why I got this fic out sooner because I knew that someone was going to end up writing one like it if I waited and then it would seem like I was copying them (that happens to me a lot, I realize). Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

Kelly – Don't worry, you're making perfect sense! That's good that you think that I'm keeping the characters in character...it means I'm doing my job correctly! Ha ha! Thank you for reviewing!

  


Race Ulfson – No, Will doesn't know entirely what he's gotten himself into...but he's expecting the worst... And I'm happy about your comment about me capturing Barbossa...I'm loving writing that character. Thank you for your review!


	4. Reluctant Submission

Title: Stormy Waters  
  
Author: No Tears  
  
Pairing: Will/Others, Will/Barbossa, Will/Jack, Will/Elizabeth (only in thoughts), Elizabeth/Norrington, Jack/Anamaria (implied) 

  


For summary, disclaimer, rating, and warnings, see first chapter!   
  
Author's Notes: I updated this a day earlier than I expected to! Yay for me! This chapter is a bit longer than the other ones, and I'll be trying to keep the chapter length at about the same as this one is. Anyway, I typed up the entire final draft to this chapter while sitting in front of the computer with a cat sitting in my lap and insistently head butting my arm. I've checked over it a few times for any typos and even used spellchecker, but if there's any mistakes, I blame the cat!!

  
  


Also, I find that I don't have time to reply to all of your wonderful reviews this time! I'm terribly sorry, but I usually take my time when doing that task and it takes up a great amount of my time. I'll most certainly be replying to all of them again on the next chapter and know that they are appreciated! 

  
  


Alisha – No, Will won't be falling in love with Barbossa. That is not my intent, and will definitely not happen. The Barbossa/Will relationship is and will stay purely non-consensual on Will's part.

  


Pointy Eared Archer – Just wanted to address that I was playing the movie in my head after seeing it for the second time, and I was replaying the part where Eizabeth walks the plank and I too, realized that. Earlier in the film he says he can't feel the warmth of a woman's touch, but he can feel the warmth of a woman's dress...? The curse is very complicated...but I think that was just a small mistake on the filmakers part. Or maybe he was just messing with her, like you suggested.

  


AND A NOTE TO EVERYONE: Pointy Eared Archer reminded me of something else I wanted to say something about. I had a little trouble with the "How much do the cursed pirates really feel?" ...Because in the film the pirates give you mixed indications also on whether or not they feel pain...I mean...when Jack stabs Barbossa clean through, he doesn't even flinch, but later when Jack slashes across his back, he gives out a shout. But it may have just been that he was angry that Jack got a hit on him? And the other pirates clearly felt pain...Pintel (the one with the wooden eye) gets the hot coals (?) Dumped on him by Elizabeth in the beginning and he's screaming "It's hot!" and later he says that the eye "Splinters something terrible." all of which give the indication that he can indeed feel pain. But at times, like when Regetti gets shot by Barbossa when they're wondering if the curse is broken, he freezes, but otherwise makes no noise that would show that he feels pain...

  


So, I came up with a little theory – for this story, at least, although it will only apply for one part. Taking just one piece of Aztec gold is enough to curse a mortal, but just how many coins you take from the chest determines what level of "feeling" you have left. Barbossa was the Captain when they found the chest, so of course, he'd get first rights to get as many of the coins as he would wish. Second in line would be Bo'sun, the first mate...who I imagine would be pretty impressive in his tolerance for pain as it is. Anyway, I'm guessing that those two would have taken the biggest amount of the Aztec gold out of all of them, thus feel less pain and pleasure than the rest of them. Pirates like Pintel, who are obviously very low in Black Pearl status, would have taken the least amount, and so would still be able to feel things like pain.

  


Anyway, sorry for that rambling! Just something I wanted to get the message out about that because it's caused much speculation in my mind...

  
  
  


Part 4: Reluctant Submission 

  
  
  


Barbossa stood near the edge of his ship, gazing out and over the island that the Black Pearl was currently circling. On his right shoulder sat Jack the monkey, and the small animal was moving rather restlessly as it eyed the island. The monkey's tail wrapped around his neck, the motion seeming to make it feel more secure. Barbossa gave Jack a quizzical look, wondering what it was that was bothering the monkey. The pirate looked away, thinking it was nothing more than agitation at the fact that they were not at Isla de Muertes like planned.

  


Barbossa had encountered a bit of trouble when telling the crew that they would not be going to Isla de Muertes just yet, but it had only taken him a few minutes to get them to agree to a little more than a day's wait before breaking the curse. When he had added the information that the crew would be having fresh meat to work for them, their grumbling about the delay had all but ended. They seemed a little too eager to Barbossa, and he made a mental note to have a talk with the crew about rules to be made concerning the boy. He did not want his new toy broken.

  


Captain Barbossa turned to look over his left shoulder, gazing into the dark eyes of Bootstrap's son. The boy was standing near the mast of the ship, his gaze searching intently and maybe a little frantically over the shore of the island. His upper arms were being held tightly in the vice-like grip of Bo'sun, and his wrists were bound tightly before him with thick rope. 

  


A couple of other pirates stood nearby, although they did not seem to wish to come too close to Bo'sun. The huge, muscle-built pirate was not in a very good mood at the moment, and even though they could not die, none of the other pirates wanted their heads backhanded off of their shoulders. By the expression on his first mate's face and the way in which Will looked as though he was trying hard not to wince, Barbossa could tell the pirate's rage had settled little.

  


Smiling, Captain Barbossa turned back to the island, his blue eyes squinting as he scanned the sandy beaches. So far there was no sign of either the rogue pirate or the lass, but they had only searched less than half of the deserted island. The sun had also set, so they would have to keep a sharp eye out.

  


Jack suddenly gave out a long screech on his shoulder, and after glancing once at the monkey Barbossa gazed out on the island to see what the creature had spotted.

  


His eyes widened when he saw that the upcoming palm trees along the shoreline were charred black. Someone had set fire to the trees there, and by the look of it they had only recently stopped burning. When he gazed up at the sky he could see the darker clouds above that blocked out the light of the moon and laid testament to the fires that had raged here. The pirate furrowed his brow as he continued to gaze on, and he caught sight of a pile of barrels near the edge of the trees, which was also charred from fire. Someone had lit the wood aflame, and they had done it for a reason.

  


Turning around and facing his crew, Barbossa's eyes stopped on Regetti and Pintel. "You two!" he called, and the two addressed pirates immediately stood at attention. "Gather a few of the others and take one of the boats to shore. Search the entire island."

  


"Yes, Cap'n." Regetti replied.

  


"Right away, sir." Pintel said with a nod.

  


The two immediately turned and began to gather a few of the other pirates, and Barbossa watched them for a moment before turning and walking back over to Will and Bo'sun. The boy's shoulder length hair was blowing back gently in the sea breeze as he stood rigid in the restraining hold of the brawny man behind him. Barbossa knew that the reason he was so still was that the lad had discovered that should he do so much as twitch in Bo'sun's grip that the pirate's hands would tighten even more painfully. At the moment, the boy's eyes were wide as he gazed about the island.

  


"Noticed it, have you?" Barbossa asked as he neared the captive.

  


The scowl that seemed to be a signature each time he saw Barbossa came onto the face of Bootstrap Bill's son. "Noticed what?" the boy asked.

  


"That there copse of trees just beyond the edge of the island. Someone's set fire to it, most likely to make a signal." Barbossa moved under one of the low-lying ropes so that Jack could climb onto it and off of his shoulder. "Don't know anyone who would bother savin' Jack," he said with a chuckle, "so's probably the lass, by the looks of things."

  


Barbossa saw the young man swallow harshly, and knew that the boy was perfectly aware of the chance that the pirate and lass were no longer on the island.

  


Placing his hand on Will's shoulder, Barbossa leaned over so he could whisper into his ear. "I'll be hopin' that this won't be affectin' our agreement, boy." Will's eyes shot to Barbossa at this, and the pirate captain smiled.

  


"Shall I put him back down with the others?" the deep voice of Bo'sun asked.

  
  


"No, I think not. Take him to my cabin and tell someone to take some food down to the other prisoners."

  


With a growl Bo'sun harshly turned the prisoner around and began to push him over to the captain's cabin. Letting out a shout of "No!" the boy turned around and tried to run past the pirate herding him back inside. Bo'sun reached out and grabbed Will's arm, yanking him back and twisting the limb painfully. The boy cried out in pain, but did not cease his attempt to get back over to the captain of the Black Pearl. 

  


Letting out a louder growl in annoyance, Bo'sun grabbed a handful of the boy's hair and wrenched his head so he was bent over forward. Placing his other large hand on the back of the boy's neck none too gently, the tall pirate once more began to force the lad away, making his attempts to fight free look pathetic against the first mate's huge bulk. In desperation, Will pounded his fists hard against Bo'sun's leg. Barbossa watched as, realizing his attempt wasn't working, the boy reached out at a passing pirate and pulled the sword from the sheath at the man's belt. 

  


Turning with speed that surprised even Bo'sun, the young man thrust the sword deep through one of the pirate's muscled arms. The unexpectedness of this attack made Bo'sun release him in favor of taking the sword out of his arm. Turning, the boy lunged at Barbossa. His attempt was once again stopped by another pirate, who swung the handle of an oar at his legs, sending him to the hard floor of the ship with a gasp and a grunt.

  


In an instant a group of pirates were on the struggling lad, and after only a few short moments they were able to draw him to his feet and hold him immobile. The owner of the sword that he had taken, a pirate named Twigg, was currently sneering in the boy's face as he pointed the blade at his neck. Will's face was drawn in a grimace as his head was yanked back by his hair.

  


"It's not very nice to steal, boy." Twigg said, lightly tracing the skin on Will's neck with the tip of his sword. "Best leave that to the professionals."

  


"Mr. Twigg," Barbossa said, feeling it was time that his presence was noted once again, "be a kind sir and bring the boy over here. I believe he was wantin' to speak with me."

  


Grabbing the boy by the back of the neck as the other pirates released him, Twigg dragged the youth over, making sure to keep his sword pressed to the boy's throat as a constant warning should he try to struggle again. When they were before Barbossa, Twigg pushed the captive forward, letting go and allowing the boy to stand on his own. The point of the sword was kept at the boy's back as a reminder to ensure no further trouble.

  


"You cannot expect me to continue on with the deal." Will said as he stood before Barbossa, head held high. "You did not deliver your half. I shall not deliver mine."

  


Barbossa laughed. "The girl's most likely not on the island, true enough, but I would 'ave trusted ye to be true to yer word." His expression and voice turned menacing. "After all, I *did* come all the way out here at my inconvenience, and the inconvenience of me crew." Barbossa nodded at the pirates behind Will, who growled their agreement. "Now, they be not being too happy with ye for makin' us come here for nothin'. Best not be givin' 'em more reason to anger. Unless of course, you'd like to spend the entire journey back to Isla de Muertes in their hands."

  


The pirates let out cheers at this, and the boy's eyes traveled over to them. Barbossa knew he could see the lust in their eyes. Lust for his pain and torment. The boy's only response to this was to turn back and continue to stare at Barbossa, who felt the prisoner's inner turmoil. When Barbossa looked deep into the dark eyes of the young man before him, he saw that they were beginning to soften with defeat.

  


Barbossa smirked and looked to Bo'sun, who was staring at Will with such fierce intensity that it made the captain have second thoughts about telling his first mate escort the boy. 

  


"Mr. Twigg, gather a couple of men to secure Mr. Turner in my cabin." he ordered, and Twigg happily complied, placing his hands on Will's shoulders and pulling him away. "Bo'sun." Barbossa called to the pirate, who was watching the boy as he was forced past. "Leave the boy." The first mate turned to Barbossa and gave a nod of affirmation, albeit with no small amount of reluctance. "Ready the ship to sail. As soon as the others come back, we're to be headin' to Isla de Muertes." 

  


"Aye, Captain." Bo'sun said gruffly before walking away to see those orders carried out.

  


Captain Barbossa turned back to look out over the island once more, his eyes finding the small group of pirates that had been sent to search it just about to reach the shore. He was not really sure what to make of the situation. He was glad the girl was gone, for when in each other's presence they became annoyingly defiant. And he would not have been able to use any threats against them to ensure even the cooperation of one, because one he wanted whole and the other he would have promised to do no harm to. But also, he did not know what further affects this was going to have on his current captive. That, and he now had no idea as to where the girl and Jack could be. Anyone could have caught that signal, from the British navy to a harmless merchant vessel. There was also the possibility that someone had come to search for the girl, but Barbossa stabbed that idea away when he realized that unless she had something extremely valuable, no one was going to look for a maid, even if she was one of the Governor's house.

  


Grunting, Captain Barbossa tore his eyes away from the island and proceeded to observe his men to see that his orders were being carried out correctly. The crew was becoming impatient, as was he. There had been enough delays.

  
  


**********

  


"Well, Mr. Sparrow, where are they?" Commodore Norrington's voice was schooled as he looked through narrow eyes at the rogue pirate. "And you'd better hope that I find your explanation plausible, or it could mean more trouble for you."

  


At the constant screaming of Elizabeth, Norrington had finally called back his men. He had found himself rather angry after discovering that the Black Pearl was nowhere present, afraid it would serve as a bad first impression of his authority as commodore. And now he was berating himself for being swayed so easily to do something just to earn Elizabeth as a wife. If he was not careful, the want to be with her was going to run his entire life.

  


"Well, to be entirely truthful," Sparrow began, "I have no idea where they are."

  


"Just as I suspected." the commodore said, beginning to turn around.

  


"Now hold on just a moment, Commodore." Jack said, catching the man's attention once more. "They may not be _here_, but I'd bet me own hat that they will come here eventually."

  


Norrington stared at the pirate, who was currently surrounded by soldiers who all had their guns trained on him. Elizabeth was standing off to the side, and though she had ceased shouting at him, Commodore Norrington could tell that she was bristling with fury. Part of him was upset at having made her angry, but the other part knew that his actions, though not to her liking, were for the best. He was only happy that Governor Weatherby was not awake to witness this.

  


"And just how are you certain of this information, Captain?" Norrington asked. "Even if they had been here, they've gone now and as far as I am concerned we are only further wasting our time remaining here."

  


"They have not been here, I assure you." Jack said. "But if I know Barbossa, they will be here."

  


"And how soon will that be, Mr. Sparrow?"

  


Jack raised a hand and opened his mouth to speak, but closed it and let a smile come over his face. "Well, y'see, at the moment, I'm not entirely sure on that."

  


"Are you, now?" Norrington asked with his eyebrows raised. "Surprise, surprise." The man looked over his soldiers. "Gentlemen, we are to sail back to Port Royale. I want Mr. Sparrow in irons and under guard." 

  


The smile disappeared from Jack's face as his arms were grabbed roughly and he was pulled away, and Norrington could not help the smirk that came over his face, knowing that the thieving pirate was finally going to get what he deserved.

  


"Commodore, you mustn't do this!" Elizabeth said suddenly.

  


Norrington turned to her and stared into her eyes, and then found himself wanting desperately to find some way to make what he was about to do unjustified. He realized, however, that now came a point where he would once again have to make the decisions, without the "aid" of Elizabeth or Mr. Sparrow. The pirate did not know where the crew of the Black Pearl was currently sailing, and Norrington was not going to let himself allow the scoundrel to lead them on another wild goose chase. 

  


As for Elizabeth, her mind was probably addled from the experiences she'd had the past few days, and she was looking rather pale to his eyes. She'd eaten little food since coming aboard, claiming to not be hungry. And as much as he wanted only to make her happy, he cared for her safety more. Will Turner's life was nothing in comparison to her's, and he would have thought this even if he was not in love with the woman.

  


"I'm sorry, Elizabeth." he said softly, then walked past her without another word.

  
  


**********

  
  


Will arched his back as he fought to pull free of the ropes holding him bound to the chair. He had been left alone in the cabin, but his wrists were tied tightly to the back of the chair and his ankles to the front legs of it. He just could not believe his luck which, although hadn't seemed particularly enjoyable lately, just kept on getting worse and worse. 

  


He gritted his teeth as the edges of the chair dug into his arms, but forced himself to ignore the annoying pain as he focused on searching for a knot in the cord. He had spotted a knife about a yard away on the table, but without the use of his hands the utensil was useless. The blacksmith was not even sure what he would do if he somehow managed to free himself. Desperation could sometimes be a great aid to his thinking process. Unfortunately, now was not one of those times.

  


His frustration flared when he found that the knots had been tied well out of his reach, and he yanked restlessly at the bonds. Finally he stilled himself, panting in exertion and gazed around the cabin as he had done many times before in a futile search for something that would aid him. The chair was too strong to break and with his ankles bound securely he couldn't gain enough leverage to effectively try. 

  


A scratching sound suddenly reached his ears, and he whipped his head around. It was coming from his left on the other side of the table. He searched for the cause of the sound, although he already had a good idea of what was making it.

  


His suspicions were confirmed when Barbossa's little monkey jumped up onto the table. The small creature looked at him for a moment, head tilted and eyes curious. Will simply watched it through narrowed eyes. It continued to stare at him, but seemed to lose interest after a moment and began to move over to where the silver bowl of apples stood, gently sliding back and forth as the ship did.

  


A small hand began to finger the fruit, and a couple of the apples were pushed out of the bowl to roll along the table. Finally it drew one out, rather small, but Will supposed it was the only size that the monkey would be able to carry without an effort. It sat back on the table, tail curled around itself as it gazed at the fruit in its hand. The monkey looked for all the world like it wanted nothing more than to take a bite out of the apple, but it didn't. It took Will a moment to realize that the monkey must have somehow been cursed as well, thus unable to satisfy itself with food.

  


The blacksmith's stomach let out a low growl, and he glanced down at it briefly. It had been over a day since he'd last eaten, and there was a burning sensation in his empty stomach. He'd been given water earlier in the day, but his body needed more of that, too. But at the moment he had about as much chance of sating his hunger and thirst as the monkey did.

  


The creature was now staring again, its dark eyes wide as it eyed him. Cautiously, it began to move over to the edge of the table in the direction of where he sat. Will raised his chin as it approached and shifted in his seat. He knew it was only a monkey, but the little thing had already proved that it was smart enough when it had taunted him and he was stuck below deck on the Interceptor. And, though the thought was a serious blow to his pride, if it decided to attack him now, he knew he would be helpless to fend it off.

  


The blacksmith continued to stare into the creature's eyes, keeping his head raised and hoping to intimidate it enough so that it would leave. He wasn't about to call for the help of the other pirates to save him from a little monkey. The monkey just continued to scrutinize him, and he realized the bothersome animal must have known he was helpless.

  


He watched as the monkey raised the apple in one hand, and cursed his stomach when it let out another aching protest. The monkey started at this, but soon calmed and continued to gaze at him in belying curiosity. It brought the hand with the apple forward, holding it over the edge of the table as it looked at Will. The blacksmith arched an eyebrow, wondering what it was doing. 

  


Will was given his answer when the apple that the monkey was holding was unexpectedly tossed into his lap. He gazed down at the fruit for a moment, before looking back up at the monkey, who was giving him a full grin of exposed pointy teeth. He couldn't reach the apple even though it was right in front of him. Will gave a small sigh and glared at the creature. It was taunting him again. 

  


"You're just as bad as your master." Will said contemptuously.

  


The monkey may not have understood his words, but it understood his tone well enough and Will winced as it let out an ear-piercing screech. Its eyes were malevolent now as it looked at him, teeth bared and still shrieking. The blacksmith gazed at it warily, eyes a bit wide as he watched the unstable creature continue to scream. He turned and looked behind himself for anything that might help, but with a small flare of panic remembered he was still bound to the chair.

  


The door to the cabin was swung open then, and the monkey abruptly quieted as it gazed at the newcomer. Will breathed a small sigh of relief before gazing at the doorway, although he already before looking who had entered.

  


"It looks like you've met Jack, then." 

  


Will's expression of confusion at this elicited a laugh from the pirate. The monkey made a soft chattering sound and then ran over to its master, leaping onto the pirate's shoulder as he stepped up to the table.

  


"Y'see, we thought it'd be fittin', seein' as Jack was the one who found him. Gave him to me, he did." Barbossa turned to look at the monkey. "Turned out to be more useful than any of us was expectin'." 

  


Barbossa reached into his pocket and pulled out the medallion necklace. Will's eyes locked onto the trinket, watching it sway from its chain in Barbossa's fingers, glinting in the candlelight of the cabin. The gold's very presence seemed to demand attention, and Will stared into the grinning face of the skull on its surface, taking in the illusion that the figure's mouth was smiling wider each lingering second he looked.

  


"He likes gold, too." Barbossa said, staring at the piece in something that might have been akin to wonder. The monkey gave a short squeak and the pirate handed the Aztec medallion to the little creature, who jumped onto the table as it began to look over the piece.

  


"So," the pirate captain began as he approached Will, "ye be hungry, eh?" Barbossa's eyes moved pointedly down to the apple that was currently settled on Will's crotch.

  


Will was silent as he stared back up at the captain, furiously refusing the intense urge to move and dislodge the fruit. However, he could not help but jerk back against his seat when Barbossa's hand reached down to grasp the apple. The captain chuckled at his reaction and set the apple back among the others on the platter.

  


"Don't worry, lad." Barbossa said. The pirate began to scan through the apples. "I won't be going near there just yet." He glanced over his shoulder at Will. "Unless ye be wantin' me to."

  


Will did not even try to disguise his loathing at this remark.

  


"Now, which kind do ye prefer?" Barbossa said as he turned back to the apples and drew out one of light green color and another one of ruby red. "The sweet," He held up the red, then indicated to the green. "or the sour?" Tossing up the green one, Barbossa gave a small smile. "I like the green ones, meself."

  


Will stared at Barbossa, still not saying a word. The pirate seemed unsurprised by this, and gave a light shrug as he deposited the red one back among the others. Picking up the knife that Will had spotted earlier, the captain drew up a chair and leisurely took a seat next to the blacksmith. Barbossa began to neatly cut through the apple, all the while humming softly to himself. The nectarous scent of the juice from the fruit lifted to Will's nose, and much to his chagrin he felt his hunger rise and heard his stomach let out another growl for food.

  


Thankfully, Barbossa didn't take this as an opportunity to further incite him, but just continued to hum as he cut the apple up into eight equal parts. He'd already removed the seeds, and now he set the pieces onto the table, not bothering to gather a plate to place them upon. 

  


Holding up a piece in front of Will's face, he smiled gruesomely. "Open up, boy."

  


Will's eyes widened and he stared at the pirate incredulously. "You're not serious." he said, leaning his head back and away from the hand with the apple piece hovering by his face. He was not about to willingly submit himself to be fed by hand, especially by this man, no matter how hungry he was.

  


"Oh, I be quite serious." Barbossa answered sincerely. "And you'll be listenin' to me, or I'll be callin' some o' me crew in and you'll discover what it's like havin' apple pieces shoved down yer gullet."

  


Will froze at this, knowing that should he continue to resist, the murderous pirate would very well happily carry out his threat. Sending Barbossa a glare of absolute hatred that looked as though it could steam the seven seas, Will slowly opened his mouth.

  


"There's a good boy." Barbossa said with one of his more chilling smiles as he plopped the apple into the fuming blacksmith's mouth. "Call it a bit of revenge for that scum comment ye made yesterday."

  


Will chewed the apple piece slowly, his eyes on the wall opposite of him as he tried to imagine himself to be anywhere but here. Unfortunately, this didn't last long because no sooner did he swallow the last bit of apple in his mouth than did another piece appear expectantly before his face. His first instinct again was to draw back from it, but with much reluctance managed to force his mouth to open once more. He closed his eyes this time, and fought the urge to cringe when Barbossa's raspy chuckling sounded through the cabin. 

  


"Ye're goin' to have to ask for it this time, boy."

  


Will's eyes shot open and he stared at the pirate captain, unbelieving. "No." he said firmly, turning his head away. "I won't do it."

  


"My threat of bringin' the crew in here still stands." Barbossa said maliciously, holding the apple piece up. "An' don't ye be makin' any doubts about how rough they'd be willin' to get. They know that they can't kill ye, boy, but keepin' both of your ears ain't somethin' necessary to break the curse."

  


Gritting his teeth and wondering if it was physically possible to feel as much anger and hatred towards a man as he did at that moment, Will forced out his reply. "May I?" he spat.

  


"May you what?" Barbossa asked with a smirk.

  
  


"May I have another apple piece?" The question was a barely controlled snarl.

  


His smile unfading, Barbossa raised the fruit to the blacksmith's mouth, and just as Will was about to open it to accept the food, the pirate captain drew it back.

  


Choking down his scream of frustration, Will glared fiercely at Barbossa. "I did what you said!" he growled.

  


"Aye, that you did." Barbossa's look was thoughtful as he rested a finger to his chin. "But I be havin' another idea. Seein' as you're to be the new cabin boy, I think it best if ye call me Captain or sir."

  


Will shut his eyes tightly and clenched his jaw against the rage that wanted to make its way out through his voice. _Just do it, William. _he told himself. _You won't do any good fighting against him unless you're strong enough when an opportunity arises. Submit for now, wait until the curse is broken, and then make your move. Don't do anything stupid. _He was dimly aware that the voice that spoke the last thought sounded oddly like Jack. 

  


The blacksmith opened his eyes and tried his best to keep the fury from his voice. "May I have another apple piece, Captain?"

  


"Of course, lad." Barbossa said in a sweet tone, placing the fruit in Will's waiting mouth.

  


As he chewed on the apple, Barbossa's hand reached up and began to stroke down the back of his head. Immediately he tried to jerk away to avoid the touch. Barbossa simply grabbed a handful of his hair to keep his head still, watching in amusement while Will began to struggle in his seat.

  


"You're goin' to have to accept me touch sooner or later, boy." the pirate captain said. "Better sooner than later, I always say." Keeping his hand fisted in Will's hair, Barbossa reached over and picked up another apple slice from the table. "Now, how's about another piece of apple?" 

  
  


TBC... 

  
  


Next Chapter: The Black Pearl once again nears Isla de Muertes, and Jack and Elizabeth start coming up with plans of their own.


	5. Eucser a rof Snalp

Author's Notes: I wasn't too happy with this chapter, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it, but why not is confusing me. Well, maybe it's nothing...

Okay...something I saw while watching PotC. At the part where Will comes onto the Black Pearl after escaping The Interceptor and threatens to kill himself, did anyone else notice that the scarf-cloth-thingy around his neck turned RED?? Wasn't it orange?? Or did it change red when it got wet? But then in the next scene when Elizabeth walks the plank...it's orange again. I find that a little weird. 

  


Ha, well anyway...on to other things...

  


No, you're not seeing things. That's really the title of the chapter. ::grins:: Read and you'll understand.  
  
For disclaimers...ratings...pairings...etc etc etc...check the first chapter! 

  


**Non-con warning for this chapter, but it's nothing too graphic.**  
  
  
  
Part 5: Eucser a rof Snalp  
  
  
  
Elizabeth stood, fuming as she gazed out over the ocean and watched the waves crash against the Dauntless. She knew that somewhere out there, the Black Pearl was sailing with Will onboard as a prisoner, just like she had been. It ate at her heart that he had risked everything to come for her, and now she could do naught but stand by in pained silence while her thoughts dwelled on what she was powerless to stop. Will was going to die amongst strangers, and it seemed that no one in Port Royal save for herself was going to even care. She just couldn't let that be his fate. She needed to try something – _anything _to get him back. Something deep inside told her that Will could not possibly be dead yet, that there was still a chance for him. If only she knew what to do.  
  
Turning from the sea, she could see Jack Sparrow in chains and sitting on a large wooden box on the opposite side of the ship and surrounded by many armed guards. Not far from him stood the Commodore, who was standing up straight with his arms clasped behind his back as he observed his men work on tightening the lines above. Elizabeth could not believe that he had decided to ignore her protests. There would be no more help willingly gained from him, or anyone else on this ship. And of course her father was out of the question.  
  
She bent over slightly as a sudden small round of coughing took her. Ever since the night she'd spent on that deserted island she had been feeling a little sick, but knew that it was nothing serious. Just a cold from spending all that time in insufficient clothing. She knew, though, that if Norrington or her father caught sight of her coughing, they would begin to fuss over her immediately.   
  
Eizabeth paused as an idea hit her. Squinting her eyes, she gazed over at the Commodore, and then to the Governor's cabin. To her delight she saw that her father was just coming out, straightening his wig and smoothing out his uniform. Giving a long look to Jack, who seemed to be trying to strike up conversation with one of the soldiers who was studiously ignoring him, Elizabeth then turned and went over to her father.  
  
"Elizabeth, darling!" he cried as she came over. "How are you faring?"  
  
"Actually, father, I am feeling rather hungry." she replied with a smile.  
  
"Are you?" He appeared greatly surprised by her statement, and gazed around the ship. Clearly he was astonished that she was not acting at all angry as she had been earlier. "Well then, I'll have some food brought up for you."  
  
"Some soup, if you please." At her father's questioning look she hurriedly continued, "I'm feeling a bit below the weather, you see. I thought that some soup would be the best thing for it."  
  
"Oh! Quite right you are, then." He looked once more over the crew, this time uncertainly. "Shouldn't take too long. I'm sure I'll be able to find _someone _here who can cook a decent pot of soup."  
  
Elizabeth looked over the soldiers, realizing that all food they would have prepared for the trip would be sailing rations.   
  
Raising a hand to push away an errant strand of hair that had come free from her braid and was now flapping in her face, Elizabeth said, "I think I could make it myself, if you don't mind."  
  
The Governor's brow wrinkled as he gazed at her. "Are you sure, Elizabeth?" he asked.  
  
"Father, I may live in the Governor's house, but that does not mean I cannot cook." she lied. She wasn't sure if the ship even had all the right ingredients to make soup. "Remember what you used to tell me? 'Every proper lady should know how to cook.'"  
  
"Yes, and as I recall, you did not think too much of that saying."  
  
Elizabeth inwardly winced. She had forgotten about that. "Well, I did not think too much of the lessons, true enough." she said. "But I would watch the maids do it from time to time, and I've learned that way."  
  
Her father's raised eyebrow showed that he was not entirely convinced. He seemed to go over her words in his head for a while, before tilting his head to the side and then nodding. "I suppose it would be all right."  
  
"Thank you, father!" she exclaimed, moving to plant a kiss on his cheek before moving away, leaving the governor thoroughly flustered.  
  
  
**********  
  
  
Will sighed as he settled himself against the wall of his cell once more. The winds were against them today, so it would be a bit more than a day before the Black Pearl reached its destination. The walls of the ship around him groaned as the Black Pearl rocked against the waves.  
  
He shut his eyes tightly against the rage he felt against the humiliation he was forced to endure at Barbossa's hands. At one point the pirate captain had become more bold, and began brushing his fingers against Will's lips as he fed him the fruit. Will had tried to turn away from the touch, but the pirate had kept a firm hold on his hair. The blacksmith had only just stopped himself from resorting to biting Barbossa's wandering fingers. Next time -- Barbossa had assured him repeatedly that there would definitely be a next time -- Will did not know if he would have such restraint.  
  
He turned and gazed at the prisoners in the cell across from him, and found himself wishing that he had at least been locked in with them. He was painfully aware of his seclusion, trapped alone in this cell. He was usually only in the company of himself back at the shop, but this damp, filthy place could hardly be considered home.   
  
Earlier, he had painfully given the news that neither Elizabeth nor Jack were on the deserted island, and had been met with much surprise and many questions from the others. He had only been able to tell them a few things, such as the burnt palm trees he had seen. Any other information was as lost to him as it was to them. Anamaria had said she had heard him shouting, and he told her that it was just a small argument between him and Barbossa. He had not told them of Barbossa's threats, nor what took place after he was taken to the cabin.   
  
Will focused on Anamaria, planning to break the silence in an effort to calm his heated emotions. It would not do him good to dwell on them, and he asked the first question that came to his mind.   
  
"What happened to make you so angry at Jack, anyway?"  
  
Anamaria's hair seemed to stay stone still even as she jerked her head up at his question. "What?" she asked, blinking.  
  
"Back in Tortuga." he explained. "You seemed rather angry at him."  
  
Remembrance suddenly flashed in her eyes. "I was." she said simply. Sighing, she continued, "I met Jack a long time ago, when he was captainin' the Black Pearl. He was not so discreet about his business back then, crazy git. Always goin' around and braggin' to everyone that he was going to be sailin' to an island that can't be found except--"  
  
"By those who already know where it is." Will finished. "He's told me the story."  
  
"Well, of course no one believed him. They all assumed he was mad." she chuckled. "I'm not even sure if he's all that sane myself."  
  
"Nor I." Will agreed.   
  
"Aye. I mean, how can anyone not be? The man walks around and acts like he's got everlasting drunkeness! Never seems to smell of alcohol, though." She let out a sigh. "Anyhow, near eight years later, Jack shows up in Tortuga, no ship, no crew, and drunk off his ass as I ever saw him. His only possessions his clothes, compass, and weapons. He found me and begged for a place to stay. I tell ya, Jack's gotta be more than a might drunk for you to ever hear him beggin', and it ain't a pretty sight. Every other girl he'd asked had turned him down."  
  
"I can't imagine why." Will said sarcastically.  
  
"Aye," she said with a nod, "his reputation among women wasn't framed by gold, to be sure." She gazed down at her hands. "Too bad I was foolish enough not to know about it."  
  
Will's mouth dropped open for a moment, but he quickly shut it when she looked up at him again. "I'm sorry." he said softly.  
  
Anamaria shrugged indifferently, obviously trying to conceal her emotions. "The bottom line is, he left." Her voice was sharp as she said this. "After the third night, I awoke in the morning to find that he was gone. He left no note. Nothing to tell me where he had went to. Only the missing boat to let me know just how well he thought of me."  
  
The blacksmith frowned, his respect in Jack plummeting with every word she spoke. "He deserved _more _than a couple of slaps." Will said.  
  
"He's a pirate, lad." she said, her dark eyes looking sqaurely into Will's own. "_I'm_ a pirate. It's what we do. I'm sure you've heard the motto."  
  
"Take what you can. Give nothing back."  
  
"That's the one." She looked around at the dark walls and then sighed again. "But soon this will just become another story to be told among the townspeople, and we'll all go back to our old lives."  
  
"I won't be." Will pointed out. "I'm the cabin boy, remember? I'll be slaving on this ship until Barbossa gets tired of me and decides to kill me off."  
  
Anamaria shrugged again. "That be your fate, then. Unless of course, Jack is still alive."  
  
Will scowled. "And what effect does whether he's alive or not have on me?"  
  
"You haven't noticed it?" Anamaria asked, her eyebrows raised. "You grew on him, boy. He cares about you, more than he ever did me. And when Jack cares for someone, he goes to any lengths for them. Of course he'll make it seem like he's doing it for his own profit, but I learned to see past that lie a long time ago."  
  
"You're saying Jack will be coming to rescue me." he said, an eyebrow raised in incredulity.  
  
"Aye, that's exactly what I'm sayin'."  
  
Will scoffed. "Forgive me if I find that less than believable."  
  
"You can think all you'd like, boy." She was smiling a little now. "I've seen the way he looks at you. Hell, the whole crew has!"  
  
"I don't care for what you're implying." Will said, his voice low in warning.  
  
"Then we won't speak of it anymore. But you can't just thrust it aside, boy, and you know it." With that, she turned back to the rest of the men, folding her arms as she stared at the wall.  
  
Will stared at the fall of hair on her back for a moment, wondering if that was the end of the conversation. It soon became clear that he was not going to get anything else out of her, so he closed his eyes, suddenly feeling extremely weary. His mind repeatedly went over her words, but he was not able to think much on it as he soon found himself drifting off to sleep.  
  
  
**********_  
  
  
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We're blacksheep, we're devils, and really bad eggs, drink up me hearties, yo ho!_ Jack gently rocked his head from side to side with the song as he tapped the tune out with his finger on the wooden box he was sitting on. He had been doing this for the past hour just to pass the time. He found it a great way to get his head cleared.   
  
After assessing the situation he decided there was no immediate action he could take, but he was forever keeping his eyes open for an opportunity. His style while in captivity greatly differed from the way he'd seen Will react. Jack preferred to act submissive, to fool his captors into thinking him meek for the time when he would make his escape. It would be a matter of days before they reached Port Royal, and he was more than sure he could come up with something by then. Anamaria had always said he was overly confident when it came to matters such as this._  
  
"Not overly confident, love. _Healthily_ confident."_ he had said to her.  
  
The volume in his taps on the wooden box grew considerably louder as he got into the song, his entire upper body now moving with the music inside his head. He began to hum it softly as he danced in his seat, his long hair swaying.   
  
_Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. We're beggars and blighters, and ne'er do-well cads...drink up, me hearties yo-ho!  
_  
"Would you stop that?!" the exasperated voice of one of his guards asked.  
  
"Hmm?" Jack stopped tapping and looked up, slightly disappointed that his rhythm had been thrown off. "What?"  
  
"Whatever you're doing!" another one said. "Stop it before you drive us insane."_  
  
I think that'd be an improvement on your part, mate._ Jack thought. "Sorry," he said in false sincerity with a smile.  
  
The guards were fooled by this and satisfied, they turned away from him once more. Jack was pondering whether or not to continue on with the tapping, just to be annoying, when Elizabeth suddenly came up to the soldiers around him. As he leaned over a bit to peer between the men standing surrounding him, he could see she was holding a bowl of some sort and was making an effort to compose herself.  
  
"My lady?" one of the soldiers asked.  
  
"I've brought some food for Mr. Sparrow." she explained, holding up the bowl in indication. The guard gave her a strange look. "Even a prisoner deserves his meal." she said.  
  
It took a moment, but eventually the guards assented and parted, allowing her to come fully into Jack's view as she stepped over to him.   
  
"Your food, Mr. Sparrow." she said, handing a bowl and a spoon to him. "It would not do for you to starve. Make sure you eat _all_ of it."   
  
Jack gave her a lingering look, hearing that her words held more meaning than they seemed. Glancing down at the bowl, he fought the urge to cringe at the look of the food within. The soup appeared far too watery, and some of the legumes swimming around in it were not fully cooked while others looked like they had been held over a spit until they caught fire. And he_ thought_ those were pieces of beef in there, but it might have just been charred lettuce. He didn't know why she would somehow think to cook lettuce, though.  
  
Looking back up at Elizabeth, he forced a smile onto his face. "Many thanks, Miss Swann." he said.  
  
She gave him a pointed look before turning away to stand over to the side, and he realized she was going to stand there and wait for him to finish his food.  
  
_Make sure you eat _all_ of it.  
_  
He wondered what the girl had planned. Surely she didn't mean to poison him. There would be no point in that -- as far as she was concerned, he was going to be hanged anyway. _But even if that wasn't her intention, she may be unwittingly poisoning me with this._ he thought as he scrutinized the food in his bowl.  
  
Leaning down hesitantly, he inhaled the scent, surprised when the soup did not smell all that bad. In fact, it was a very delicious fragrance, and before he knew it he was digging into the soup. It tasted quite good, and his stomach murmured happily as the eaten food settled pleasantly in his gut. It was a matter of minutes before the entire bowl was consumed. What was left of the darkish broth settled in what looked like strange cracks in the bottom of the bowl.  
  
He stared down at the empty bowl, blinking. If he was correct, those crack-like spots were words. His eyes widened, realizing that Elizabeth had somehow carved words into the bowl to send him a message. He quickly began to read it. _  
  
Agutrot...rean...ew...litnu...raf...woh... Agutrot rean ew litnu raf woh?? What in the blazes does that mean?  
_  
Glancing up at Elizabeth with a furrowed brow, he shrugged almost imperceptibly in confusion. The girl raised her eyebrows, then made twisting motions with her hands. Jack watched her, his confusion only growing at her gestures. It looked like she was trying to imitate his gestures, like Will had done before when he thought Jack wasn't paying attention. By the looks of it, she was doing a very poor job.  
  
He shook his head slightly to indicate that she was doing it all wrong. She stared at him, gesturing more furiously. He shook his head again; she still wasn't doing it right. He was a bit alarmed when she opened her mouth as if to give a shriek of frustration, but no sound came out. She gave him another meaningful look and then turned around.  
  
Jack tried to comprehend what was going on. _The kids these days... _he thought._ ...always wanting to--oh! It's backwards! That's what she's sayin'! _Feeling mighty pleased with himself for having figured it out, Jack snapped his head back to the words to look over them again. His mind worked frantically, and he was finally able to decipher the letters. _How far until we near Tortuga? _He looked back up at Elizabeth, surprised. _She wants to go to Tortuga? She'll never get Norrington to agree to that. _But Jack was beginning to think that maybe he shouldn't underestimate the girl. Obviously she had something more in mind.  
  
"Miss Swann, I've finished my food." he called, drawing her attention.  
  
Turning around, she walked back over and smiled kindly at the soldiers who granted her passage immediately.  
  
"How was it, Mr. Sparrow?" she asked, raising of her eyebrows as she reached out to take the offered bowl and spoon.  
  
"Positively scrumptious, Miss Swann." He looked warily at the men around him once. "Why, I believe I could continue eating that wonderful soup for a full _eight hours _before I tire of it."  
  
Elizabeth's smile widened, and she gained a glint to her eye. "Well then, perhaps you would like another bowl?"  
  
"Most definitely, my lady." He flashed his silver and gold teeth at her. "As many as it takes until I am sated."  
  
"I shall return shortly." she said, turning and walking off.  
  
Jack settled back on the box, his mind going over what Elizabeth had just done. He eventually smiled widely, leaning back as he began tapping "A Pirate's Life For Me" on his leg so it would not make as much noise. _Clever girl. _he thought. _That rebellious streak of yours may benefit us yet_.  
  
  
**********  
  
  
"Now that's a sight for sore eyes!"  
  
"Aye, pretty little thing, ain't he?"  
  
"After we break the curse, let's ask Barbossa if he'd be willin' to share with us."  
  
"Nah. Captain said 'e's ta be left alone unless 'e says it different."  
  
"That's no fun. I mean, blimey, look at 'im! I'd be takin' 'im as 'e is if it wasn't for the Captain's orders."  
  
"Why not? 'E's already in position!"  
  
As yet another round of raucous laughing started up, Will ground his teeth together so hard he thought they would all end up breaking under the pressure. Taking deep breaths to calm himself -- although he was not sure if he would ever be calm again after those remarks -- the blacksmith dunked his brush into the bucket nearby and continued to scrub the deck.  
  
He was literally shaking with fury, having been forced to listen to the lasvicious words of the pirates around them and bear their lustful gazes. Barbossa had given the order that he be introduced to the duties of a cabin boy early, and it had been a rough awakening as he had been hauled out of his cell and almost immediately put to work. Now most of the crew had left off their own duties to watch as he worked, and it took every ounce of his willpower to not try and attack them in any way he could.  
  
Not that the action would have done him any good. They were still cursed; they could not be harmed. As it was, his wrists were bound together before him with thick rope that trailed over to the mast and was wrapped and tied around the width of it. That put him at an even more severe disadvantage.  
  
The crew around him continued to take in pleasure at the sight of him on his hands and knees, while he vainly tried to ignore them. Even the monkey was witnessing his degradation, sitting on one of the low-hanging lines and watching him with dark eyes as it seemed to screech its approval of the pirates' impure words.  
  
Suddenly, a booted foot connected with the small of his back, and Will collapsed onto the soapy wet deck. The pirates began to laugh harder as he slowly drew himself up, and he turned to see that the pirate who had attacked him was a smiling Bo'sun. Will felt an involuntary thread of fear enter his heart as he glared up at Barbossa's well-muscled first mate. Bo'sun's eyes had been filled with what looked like unquenchable fury the last time he had seen them. Even with the smile, he knew it would be a miracle if it had dissipated by now.  
  
"Back to work, boy!" the pirate said, kicking Will in the stomach.  
  
The force of the blow sent the blacksmith rolling right into the bucket full of water. It fell over, expelling its contents to create a giant wet and soapy puddle on the deck. Will lay still, groaning softly as his stomach protested from the abuse.   
  
"Look at this mess!" the pirate called Twigg cried. "Little bugger. What should we do with him?"  
  
"I say we 'ave a little fun." another pirate chuckled.  
  
The rest of the men shouted their agreement, and before he knew what was happening Will suddenly found a cloth being drawn over his eyes, blinding him. Rough hands descended upon him, grasping. The blacksmith began to kick and swing his arms, writhing as he fought against them. He felt someone take hold of his arms and wrench him to his feet, and then he was pushed hard.   
  
Will found himself stumbling into the warm body of another pirate, who took hold of his bound hands and pulled his head back by his hair. The pirate's breath wafted against his bared neck and he shuddered.  
  
"Pretty boy," the pirate growled against his ear, "we're goin' ta be enjoyin' yer services."  
  
He was spun around and pushed into another body, this one larger than the others. With a feeling of dread he realized that it was Bo'sun. His hair was grabbed in a tight grip and tugged back violently, causing him to cry out from the sharp spark of pain. He felt his arms being yanked to his chest, and then rope was wrapping tightly around his neck, cutting off his breath and scratching painfully against the tender skin of his throat. Will struggled frantically as he began to choke, his mouth wide as he tried to suck in air that refused to enter his throat.  
  
The rope around his neck was loosened and he gasped and coughed as the cloth was ripped from his eyes. He blinked to clear his vision as his beating heart settled somewhat, finding Bo'sun's grinning face only inches from him. Once glancing down found that the pirate had untied the length of rope connected to his wrists from the mast and that was what had been wrapped around his neck.   
  
Giving a fearsome growl, Bo'sun released Will's neck from the rope and pushed the blacksmith back into another wall of bodies. The pirates took hold of him tightly, most of them sneering in his face. He watched as the first mate, who was still holding the end to the length of rope bound around Will's wrists, threw the rope up to another pirate, who tossed it over a stiff, strong line and back down to Bo'sun.   
  
Will's eyes widened as he understood what was going to happen, and this only made Bo'sun's grin become broader. He watched as the first mate gave a hard pull on the rope, and simultaneously he was released by the pirates around him. His arms were yanked up over his head harshly and he was lifted a few inches off the ground.   
  
Gasping at the fiery pain that coursed through his arms and shoulders at the sudden movement, Will desperately began to stretch his legs, trying to find some sort of purchase to take the weight off of his arms. The deck was just out of his reach, and with a resigned hiss he stilled, feeling the bite of the rope as it dug into his wrists. Bo'sun tied off the free end with the rest of the lines, then stepped forward to watch the proceedings.  
  
Will shut his eyes as the pirates surrounding him began laughing once more, jeering at his helplessness. A hand brushed against his right leg, and opening his eyes he reacted instantly by swinging both his legs out, kicking the offending pirate in the jaw. He was pleased to hear the man's neck snap as the pirate let out a gurgling shout and collapsed among the others.   
  
This small victory was short lived as he caught the new menace in the eyes of the pirates. They were not going to be done with him any time soon, he knew.  
  
Will stifled a yelp of surprise when a hand suddenly reached out to grope his buttocks. Twisting, the blacksmith tried to kick the one who dared to do so, but the pirate moved away before the hit could connect. At nearly the same moment yet another pirate moved forward and ran a hand down his leg, and once more his attack missed as the man jumped back before he could react.   
  
The pirates seemed to like this game, but it lasted far too long for Will. As many as two or three would come at once and run their hands along his body or squeeze him somewhere, and then, laughing, they'd hurry back to the circle around him and out of his reach when he would try to lash out with his legs.   
  
After several minutes his arms began to shake in weariness as his strength waned, and his kicks began to lose what reach they had. Sweat beaded on his brow as he refused to stop fighting, biting his tongue against the whimpers of frustration and pain as his shoulders and wrists raged with fire.  
  
At one point during the crew's sick game Will's eyes had trailed up to see Barbossa standing in the open doorway of his cabin, staring at him. Gasping in pain, the blacksmith had gazed with pleading eyes at the pirate captain as his torment continued. But Barbossa did nothing except observe him for a few moments before moving back inside his cabin and closing the door.  
  
Finally, too exhausted and weak to fight anymore, the blacksmith went limp in his bonds, his head resting down against his chest. The pirates leered as they approached his trembling body, but Will only had the strength clench his teeth and throw his head back, writhing weakly as a hand ran down the length of his back. A hand crept under his shirt, and he jerked as it ran along his abdomen and pinched the flesh there. The pirates were eagerly watching his reactions to this treatment, taking pleasure in his humiliation and pain.   
  
The hand on his stomach traveled lower, breeching the waistline of his trousers. With a flare of panic, Will tried to raise his legs to kick, only to find them being held down by a couple of chuckling pirates. Making a choked sound in the back of his throat, Will strained against his restraints, trying to twist his body away from the seeking hand. The hand in his trousers continued to slowly trail down to one of his most private areas, the pirate before him unrelenting.  
  
"S-stop." Will finally gritted out, desperate.  
  
The pirate before him looked up in surprise, then began to guffaw loudly. "Y'here that? 'E says 'e wants me to stop!" Smiling as the other pirates' laughter followed his words, the pirate reached up with his free hand and grabbed Will's chin, his smile revealing rotting teeth. "I might think about it, boy. If ye beg me to."  
  
"Gents! Leave the boy alone for now."   
  
Will felt his relief soar as he looked up to see Barbossa standing outside of his cabin. The pirates surrounding him all let out collective groans of complaint, but knew better than to disobey their captain. The pirate in front of him released his chin and then removed the questing hand from his pants, turning to join the others who were going back to their duties reluctantly.  
  
Will looked to see Bo'sun take out his cutlass and sliced through the rope holding him up. The blacksmith fell hard to the deck, gasping as his knees took the brunt of the impact. The rest of the rope coiled on top of him as he groaned softly and fell onto his side, weakness consuming his body.   
  
He closed his eyes for a few moments as he waited impatiently for his strength to return, even though he wanted nothing more than to be left in peace. He felt more than heard the footsteps of boots against the deck, and after opening his eyes he raised his head to see Barbossa standing over him.  
  
"Enjoyin' yer first day of work?" the pirate captain asked with a smile. "Sorry the boys were so rough on ye, lad, but I'm afraid you'll be havin' ta get used to this. Scrubbin' the deck'll be part o' yer daily duties, but I'll be sure and ask the crew to not do anything to ye that would interfere with yer work." He stepped closer to the blacksmith. "I'll let you lie there for a minute, but _only_ a minute. You look a might hungry, and I've got some hot food waitin' for ye in me cabin."  
  
Will closed his eyes again and dropped his head back onto the deck with a light thud. He just wanted to be left alone, to be back in the shop at Port Royal and out of this hell. The last thing he was wishing for at the moment was another forced feeding session with Barbossa.  
  
Beginning to pull himself up in resignation, Will swore silently, _The next time his fingers touch my mouth, I'm biting them off.  
_  
  
TBC...  
  
  
And, in case you didn't notice, the title for this chapter is backwards for 'Plans for a Rescue.' ::laughs:: Yes, I am weird.   
  
  
Next chapter: Elizabeth's plan on how to get into Tortuga is revealed and Jack is skeptical. But then, he's come up with crazier things... 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


*Review Replies*

  
  


True-Slytherin-girl – Hope you liked the chapter. Thanks for reviewing.

  


Crykat – Yes...I could never write a Mary-Sue fic. I'm happy that you like the way I'm writing Barbossa! He's definitely going to continue to be a big part of this story. 

  


Pointy-Eared Archer – Yes, the monkey is great. And Barbossa is really evil...but that's why we all love him! I think.

  


Alisha – Well, as you've read from this chapter, Jack and Elizabeth have their own ideas on how to get off the Dauntless...or rather, Elizabeth does, and Jack's just a little confused. And on Norrington, I've heard from more than a few of my reviewers their comments on what an ass Norrington is...and I myself am not sure whether it's his character or the way I'm writing him. I myself actually liked the character Norrington in the movie...but then, I liked all the characters, so I can't really talk. ::grins::

  


Race Ulfson – Yeah...I feel sorry for Will. I'm sure he had a hard time being recognized among the townspeople since his "Master" was thought the one to be making all of the swords... And as for what's going to happen to Jack and Will...you'll just have to wait for that!

  


Leap of fate – Thanks! I hope you liked this chapter, and appreciate your review!

  


WildfireFriendship – Yes, I had very much fun writing that part with the apples...::devilish grin:: Hope that this chapter met up to your expectations!

  


feckless – I wish I knew more ways to say "thank you" so that I wouldn't have to repeat this to nearly every reviewer... Thank you and I appreciate your review!! Angst is great, pain is great...there will be more of both in chapters to come... ::smiles::

  


Fangirl who wouldn't grow up – Yes, I love writing angst... Thank you for reviewing!

  


Elf-Formally-Known-as-Legolas – Do you feel more bad for him now? I absolutely loved writing the scene with the apples in the last chapter...so I'm glad you liked reading it! 

  


hotpants333 – Yes, angsty slash is gooooood! Love writing it... Thank you for reviewing!

  


Lady Surreal – Yes, poor Will. ::smirks:: 

  


Harial – Thanks!

  


pirate of the castle anthrax – Thank you for pointing that out for me!

  


Onua Wingstar – Yeah...there are quite a few weird mysteries in that movie. Oh well! I'm happy that you liked it. Thank you for reviewing!

  


Katie-321 – Yes, I do try to add a little comedy in now and then. Nice to know that it's working! Thank you for reviewing!

  


Sunny – Unfortunately for Will, it's going to be a while before Jack or anyone else reaches him, and he's got plenty of torment ahead of him... poor boy. ::smirks:: Thank you for reviewing!

  


Lydia Nightshade – Wow...I'm happy that you like this so much! Thank you for reviewing!

  


non –Thanks!


	6. By Blood Undone

Author's Notes: I'm back! And just a warning on this chapter...because I don't know the exact years in which this story takes place, I may be changing history a bit. I think I heard the film-makers say it takes place in the 1800s...but, since this is an AU, I guess it wouldn't hurt if I made it a bit earlier...but it won't affect anything, I just wanted to get a small scene (involving chocolate) in that had to fit with the dates...you probably won't even notice it...

  
  
  


Part 6: By Blood Undone

  
  
  


Jack groaned and leaned back against the edge of the ship as he finally managed to stuff down yet another bowl of soup while under the watchful eye of Elizabeth. After the fourth bowl his stomach had no trouble telling him that it didn't want anymore, but the girl just kept on carving information into more bowls, each different than the last. She never even gave him more than one sentence at a time! When he had hinted at this using the disguised words they used to fool the soldiers into thinking it was just simple conversation, Elizabeth had just taken his bowl, and brought yet another one out with the answer that "It is a necessary precaution." Backwards, as always. He sorely wanted to ask why she couldn't just carve the words into it forwards to make it easier on him, but he was afraid that she would just decide to answer it with another bowl of soup. That, and he guessed that her answer to that would probably also be that "It is a necessary precaution."

  


Jack rubbed his poor stomach, wondering how much more he could take. This bowl better have been the girl's last message or all of her cooking was going to come out over the deck and ruin the shoes of about every one of the men guarding him. Even they were giving him awkward looks now and then, surprised that he could consume so much.

  


The girl's plan could use some work too, as far as he was concerned. She planned to feign sickness, but how the devil she was going to convince everyone on the ship that she was that ill when she was standing there with naught but a slight cough was beyond Jack. Unfortunately for them, even though the Dauntless couldn't match the speed of the Pearl or Interceptor, it could hold it's own in a race against any other ships, and was fast closing in on the leagues towards Tortuga. They would pass it well before the sun would even begin to sink towards the horizon. The girl had better start gaining fever damn quick.

  


Elizabeth caught his gaze, and raised her left hand to her collarbone, resting one finger on it. He gave a sigh and stared at the swirling liquid in the bowl he held between his hands. 

  


_One more, Jack, _he told himself, _just one more to go after this. Joshamee Gibbs, I could really use that appetite of yours right now, mate._

  


Fighting back a grimace, he plunged the spoon into the soup and choked down the last few swallows. His stomach felt like it was about to burst, but he forced himself to ignore it as he deciphered the words in the bowl before him.

  


_Agutrot ni seil epoh ylno ym – bloody hell that girl is going to give me one wallop of a headache – erodommoc eht ecnivnoc ot gniog er'ouy....which means...You're going to...con...con...convince, that's it...convince the Commodore...my only hope...lies in Tortuga. _He looked up at Elizabeth again. _And then I suppose you'll be wanting me to turn coal into gold, build us a ship made of water, and then we'll fly away into the sun to have hot steamy sex, eh? This should be interesting._

  


Thankfully, Elizabeth didn't bother to wait for him to signal her before she walked over and took the bowl from his hands. "Another one?" she asked, giving a barely distinguishable smile.

  


"If you please," Jack replied, though on the inside he wanted nothing more than to dump the next bowl over her head. As she walked away he idly wondered if he'd ever felt that way towards a woman before. _Well, there _was_ that one whore in that brothel in England..._ He grimaced. _Best not think about that now._

  


Not more than a few minutes later Elizabeth returned with another bowl of heated food and put it in his reluctantly waiting hands. She then went back to her usual spot where she stood watching him. Jack gazed at her hopelessly. He couldn't take another bite, he just knew it. _Turn around. _he silently willed her. _Turn around, _please, _turn around. _Luck must have been on his side, because after a moment a light entered her eyes as if she had just remembered something, and then she hurried away. 

  


_Yes!!_ Gazing at the soldiers around him to make sure no one was looking, Jack swung the bowl over his shoulder and dumped the contents overboard. Bringing the now empty bowl back into his lap with a grin, Jack proceeded to read the last message. _And then...we im...provise._ Rolling his eyes, Jack leaned back again and reread the message to make sure he had read it correctly. _'And then we improvise?' Sailing into the sun to have hot steamy sex suddenly seems more plausible...it's certainly more appealing. But then, I've gotten myself out of worse scrapes._ He didn't bother to tell himself that during those times he wasn't making his escape in the company of a young and demanding woman – or _anyone,_ for that matter._ So is that it? Is she going to go and get herself sick now?_

  


Elizabeth was shortly once again in his sight, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise when she saw the empty bowl. Her eyes were suspicious when they met his, and Jack summoned up his most innocent face as she approached. 

  


"Finished already?" she asked, her voice holding an undertone that matched her eyes.

  


"It was such good soup," Jack said, "are you sure I can't have another bowl?"

  


A small smirk lit her features. "Well if you want it, I could–"

  


"No!" Jack said abruptly, and the smirk on her face grew._ The woman looks absolutely evil like that,_ Jack decided. "No, I couldn't possibly have you make anymore. There'll be no rations left for the rest of the men if you do."

  


"I suppose." she said, thankfully taking the bowl from him. "Good day, Mr. Sparrow."

  


"Good day, Miss Swann."

  


He watched her back as she left, closing his eyes briefly as another stab of intense discomfort hit his overstuffed stomach. _And good riddance. I may never eat soup again. Hmm...so now I wait._He shook his head. _This will be a tale for the books, for sure. _

  
  


********* 

  
  


Dark and wary eyes were ever watching, which made Captain Barbossa unable to resist the temptation to continue smiling at his to-be lover. He could tell that this expression on him chilled the boy, for whenever he did it Bootstrap's son could never make eye contact for long. For all his defiance and hate, the boy was not as brave as he made himself out to be. Barbossa wondered how much it would take before he had the lad begging.

  


The captain of the Black Pearl had decided that as a small apology to the boy for letting the crew get away with playing with him a bit, he would allow Will to eat on his own. Of course, he'd had the boy bound to the chair by his legs and chest, but it was more of the fact it reminded the lad of his position on this ship than for safety purposes, which he knew the boy hated. The captive's hands remained free, giving him the privilege to use utensils to eat the food set before him on a plate. As was to be expected, Will was extremely hesitant while eating, obviously uncomfortable in Barbossa's presence.

  


Reaching over to a tall pitcher that had steam billowing from it, Barbossa moved it over and began pouring the liquid within into a silver goblet, much like he'd done with the wine when the lass had been onboard. But it wasn't wine he'd be giving the boy to drink. 

  


Leaned over slightly with a fork in his right hand, Will's forehead creased when the boy saw the dark brown colored liquid being poured into the cup. Raising his eyebrows, Barbossa set the pitcher aside and took the goblet in his hand, setting it where the lad could easily reach it. 

  


"Drink up, boy. T'won't kill you."

  


Will's eyes moved from between Barbossa and the goblet for a moment, but he eventually reached out and grasped the cup, bringing it close so he could examine the contents. Barbossa enjoyed the prisoner's look of curiosity, confusion, and apprehension at the sight of the liquid. But undoubtedly the sweet scent of the drink had reached him by now. It was a fragrance that, besides the smell of the sea and apples, Barbossa badly missed. 

  


"Go ahead." Barbossa urged. "Taste it. I guarantee ye won't be displeased."

  


Both of Will's hands lifted the cup, and Barbossa felt a thrill to see again the red marks adorning his wrists where the rope had sliced into the fair skin. The pirate captain's eyes were riveted to the boy's face then as he prepared to take a drink, and Barbossa found himself a bit disappointed that he could not see the boy's lips as they sipped the liquid. Will's eyes widened ever so slightly, signaling that the taste had reached his tongue. After taking a mouthful, the boy set the cup down again, looking up at Barbossa and licking his lips.

  


"Like it, do you?" the pirate captain said, nodding to the cup.

  


"What is it?" Will asked, his voice barely louder than a whisper but carrying perfectly through the silence of the cabin.

  


Barbossa smiled. "The Aztecs called it 'chocolatl,' and it was the favored drink of the Emperor Montezuma. Was yet another treasure Cortez discovered. He took it with him back to Spain, and added some ingredients to make it sweeter. Very expensive, it is, but worth the money."

  


The boy said nothing in response, lowering his eyes back to his food. Barbossa should have expected as much. He was surprised that Will had even spoken a question to him, as the boy always seemed to find himself stronger when silent. The boy seemed to have no compunctions about shouting his head off when angry, however, and Barbossa found himself getting annoyed even at the memory of the lad's yelling. He expelled his irritation with a loud sigh, pleased when Will's eyes shot up at the noise. The pirate captain nodded, indicating for the boy to continue eating, although it seemed that the lad was not far from finished for this meal.

There was a loud knock at the door then, and the boy placed his recently grasped fork down and sat back in his seat, tensed. Barbossa exhaled in a huff at Will's reaction, shaking his head in amusement.

  


"Come in!" the captain called.

  


The door was pushed open and the large bulk of Bo'sun stepped in. Barbossa's eyes moved to Will to watch him grasp the arms of the chair in a white knuckled grip. Bo'sun sneered at the boy, but made no contact with him as he walked past the chair in which the prisoner was seated.

  


"The winds have changed, Captain." Bo'sun's deep voice rumbled. "They are with us again."

  


Barbossa's spirits lifted with this news. "Good, good. I'll be wantin' to be rid of this damned curse as soon as possible. It will be quite sweet to indulge in mortal pleasures once again."

  


Bo'sun laughed at the captain's words, his eyes moving over to where the prisoner sat. Barbossa watched as his first mate met the boy's eyes head on, and not a second later Will averted his gaze to the plate before him. The pirate captain laughed at this scene while Bo'sun sneered at the lad's weakness.

  


"There's somethin' else, Captain." Bo'sun growled tilting his head towards the captive. "There's talk among the crew about the boy. Many have said they cannot wait until we reach Ile de la Tortue for their piece of flesh."

  


Barbossa chuckled, picking up a knife and studying it in the candle light of the cabin. "Aye, I was expectin' it after that little display you put on earlier, Bo'sun." He nodded at his first mate. "It appears ye don't have much restraint yerself."

  


Bo'sun only bared his teeth. Setting down the knife with a cling, Barbossa stood from his seat and walked over to his new consort. Distrustful chocolate eyes watched his approach, and when he reached out he was not surprised when the boy pulled back. This time Barbossa did not press, instead turning around to face Bo'sun again, smirking.

  


"I'll think about it." He reached over and picked up the knife again, handing it to his first mate. "Ready the boy."

  


He then turned and left the cabin without another word.

  
  


********** 

  
  


"Ah! Oh God, that's hot!" hissed Elizabeth as she poured hot wax from a recently blown out candle onto her forehead. Inhaling sharply, she waited impatiently for the heated substance to cool, and luckily it wasn't too long before it did.

  


She hurried over to grab a small mirror, holding it up to see that the white wax had hardened on her face. Reaching up, she peeled the material from her skin, looking in the mirror to make sure she got every last bit of the stuff. Opening the back window and disposing of the evidence, she reached up to feel her forehead, pleased when she found it hot to the touch. She rubbed hard at her eyes to make them appear red and watery, then spit on her hands, rubbed them together and held them out the window to let the wind blow against them, making them cold and clammy.

  


"That should do it." she said as she drew her hands back in. "Norrington's going to love this."

  


With determination in her eyes, she put on her best sick face – which was not entirely all too hard since she'd gained plenty of experience with this as a child – and then stepped out of the Governor's cabin. 

  
  


**********

  
  


The Dauntless was making good time, and Norrington did not doubt that they would be reaching Port Royal nearly half a day sooner than expected. Everyone, especially Elizabeth, would be back home and safe, and Sparrow would no longer be a threat to innocent people. Not to mention the wedding that was to be planned. A broad smile lit Commodore Norrington's face. He must have been the happiest man alive at the moment. It was unfortunate that Will would not be making the trip back with them, for under his law-abiding demeanor Norrington was actually extremely thankful that the boy had decided to interfere. If he had not, there was no guarantee that Elizabeth would have survived long enough for them to rescue her.

  


Speaking of Elizabeth, where was she? He had seen her only in passing since morning, and it seemed as if she had been avoiding him. Norrington would not blame her if this was the case – she had a right to be angry with him, after all. He knew that she would recover from it eventually, and then they would happily spend the rest of their lives together.

  


"Commodore!"

  


Turning at the sound of the voice, Norrington's gaze came to rest on Lieutenant Gillette. It was clear through the man's eyes that he was a bit restless. But Gillette was always a bit restless in Norrington's eyes. He possessed very little of the cool calm that the older man had prided himself on when he was that age. Despite this, Gillette was learning, and remained a great asset to Norrington and Port Royal.

  


"Gillette." Norrington acknowledged with a nod.

  


"Sir, I think you should come with me right away." The younger man's voice was thick with unease.

  


"What's wrong?" Norrington asked.

  


"It...It's Elizabeth, sir." 

  


That got Norrington's attention. He turned fully to Gillette, his voice rising in concern. "Where is she? What's happened?"

  


"She looks like she's falling ill." Gillette explained, pointing his finger in the direction behind the older man.

  


Norrington didn't hesitate to turn around, and he looked just in time to see Elizabeth collapse upon the deck in a dead faint. His heart immediately began pounding in his chest as he cried out "Elizabeth!" and then hurried over to her side, pushing aside the men in his way. Governor Swann was already there, cradling her head in his lap. His face sported a look of intense worry and bewilderment. He looked up when he was aware of Norrington's presence.

  


"She seemed fine this morning," Weatherby insisted, moving to allow the other man room.

  


Norrington knelt down swiftly, taking in Elizabeth's pale and flushed face. Without a second thought he moved his hand to her forehead, and held back a cry of dismay when he felt the heat radiating from it.

  


"She's burning with fever!" he said as calmly as he could manage. The fact was, he was nowhere near calm any longer. His concern for Elizabeth was escalating to unbelievable heights; he had never felt a fever so severe before! He couldn't lose her...not now, just a day after she had accepted his proposal! "Let's get her back to the Governor's cabin." He looked up at the men around him, continuing in a commanding voice, "I want every man capable of medicine at her side."

  


"I beg your pardon, but if I might say something?"

  


Norrington's eyes blazed with fire as he whirled around to see Sparrow sitting on a box, one leg casually crossed over the other and both hands resting upon his knee. The rogue pirate's mouth held that seemingly ever-present self assured smile that made Norrington need to restrain the urge to clout him.

  


Sparrow didn't even wait for him to respond, just pushing himself in with words once more. "I've seen this type of sickness before, mate." he said, and Norrington noted that his voice was solemn despite his expression. "It's called Agutrot among the sailors out here. Strikes bloody fast and hard. I'm sorry to be sayin' this, Commodore, but she won't be making it all the way back to Port Royal without the proper medical attention."

  


Norrington's heart sank, and he said nothing for a long while. "How does one get...Agutrot, Sparrow?" he asked at length, glancing back at his fiancÉ and desperately wishing she would wake up and tell him that she was fine. 

  


The pirate fingered the beads on his beard. "It comes from eating bad cabbage." 

  


"Bad cabbage?" Norrington had never heard of such a thing before, and he turned to the Governor. "Did she eat anything today?"

  


Governor Swann looked thoughtful for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "Yes, as a matter of fact, she asked if she could make some soup for herself this morning."

  


If Norrington had been looking, he would have seen the look of disgust that crossed Jack Sparrow's face at the mention of soup. But he was staring at Elizabeth, his features filled with grief. _Please God, don't let her die on me. _Placing his arms under her limp body, he gently lifted it.

  


Before he could head towards the Governor's cabin, Sparrow spoke up once more. "You want her to live, don't you, Commodore Norrington?" he asked. "You're goin' to have to get her on land and in a hospital as soon as possible. Otherwise, she's going to be pushin' up daisies faster than you can say 'I do.'"

  


Norrington closed his eyes, thoughts racing. The pirate was right, but Norrington would have much rather gotten her safely back in Port Royal. _She may die before then. _he reminded himself. _I cannot chance that. I cannot lose her now._

  


"Gilette, summon the navigator." Norrington commanded. "Ask him where the nearest Port lies."

  


"Actually, Commodore," Sparrow interrupted with a raised hand and a large smile, "I know the answer to that." 

  
  


**********

  
  


The wind was blowing gently through his hair, it's cold fingers caressing his cheeks where it managed to sift through the curled locks that adorned on his head. Will kept his head held high and forced his face to remain stoic as Barbossa circled behind him. Forced himself to not flinch or react with anything but silence as deceivingly gentle hands moved his hair aside. He felt the light chain of the medallion necklace brought about his neck, the medallion itself settling against his chest, a cold reminder of how he got into this mess in the first place. 

  


He didn't know who to blame: his father for sending the piece to him in the first place, Elizabeth for having kept it hidden from him all these years, Jack for planning to use him for his own benefit, or himself for all of the foolish mistakes he had made along the way. But, standing on a ship miles from home, hands bound securely behind his back and surrounded by men who wanted nothing more than his suffering, he knew that none of those causes mattered. He was here, and there was nothing he could do. Yet, as soon as the curse was broken, the pirates around him would be flesh and blood once more. Mortal. When he got his chance, he would go for Barbossa first, and then see how long it would take before he went down himself. With any luck he would be able to end the life of the captain's foul first mate as well.

  


Will stared straight ahead, not meeting any of the pirate's eyes as one at his side wrapped a harsh hand around the crook of his arm. Another hand was placed between his shoulder blades, and then Barbossa was walking by him. The hand behind him gave a hard shove, pushing him forward to where the boats were being lowered. Before him loomed Isla de Muertes, the island appearing as menacing as ever with the seemingly omnipresent fog that swirled about. The wind suddenly began blowing violently against him, as if it, too, was trying to force him into the caves ahead. 

  


Barbossa boarded the boat, and Will was forced in after him, then pulled down into one of the seats. The pirate holding him did not release his grip, and Will seethed as the pirates around chuckled and murmured their pleasure at the sight of him. A hand trailed up his left forearm, and with a growl Will swung his elbow back. He felt it crush against cloth, and then there was a splash as the pirate he had attacked tumbled out of the boat.

  


Barbossa, who had been standing at the head of the boat with the monkey on his shoulder, whirled around at the sound in time to see the felled crew member splash for a moment before he sank, the weight of the accessories he wore dragging him down. Will met Barbossa's eyes, and could tell that the pirate captain knew he was the cause of this. Strangely, the pirate holding his arm stepped in with an explanation before the captain could say anything.

  


"Scarus was teasin' him, Cap'n." the pirate wheezed.

  


The pirate captain looked at Will for a moment longer, then nodded. "Scarus can walk the rest of the way." he said, turning back to face the front of the boat. 

  


A few of the pirates around him took up oars and began paddling, moving the boat along towards the giant cave that stood some distance away. Glancing behind him, Will could see several other boats already following, and others still being lowered. His heart began pounding in his chest as they moved into the darkness of Isla de Muertes. One of the pirates behind him held a torch, and its light panned out to reveal the trinkets submerged in the water. They flickered and shined like stars as he looked.

  


_You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates you're well on your way to becoming one._

  


Will blinked, the memory of his first encounter with this place surfacing unbidden. He had been so sure that when he had rescued Elizabeth and gotten her back on the H.M.S. Interceptor that it would have been the last he would have seen of these pirates. And now he was back, except he was the one who was now in need of rescue. He knew it would not be coming.

  


Will may have had the blood of a pirate, but he still was adamant in the belief that he would never willingly live the life of one. Adrenaline rushed through his veins at the thought of attempting to kill Barbossa, and the likely outcome of such an action. He did not wish to die, but he did not wish to live out his entire life on a ship as a mere slave, either. And at the moment, death was looking to be the preferable fate. Jack would probably think him mad for that thought.

  


The boats came to the shore within the cave, and Will was dragged to his feet and pushed out of the boat. He stumbled over the edge of the craft and onto the shore. The short and pudgy pirate named Pintel was at his side then, throwing an arm around him like he was an old friend. Pirates flooded out of the boats around him, and Barbossa stood side by side with his first mate. The pirate captain reached into his pocket and pulled forth a green apple, grinning at Will as he did so. Will felt a surge of disgust and looked away, staring at the wall of the cave.

  


Barbossa's voice rang out with unconcealed joy. "Onward!"

  


The pirate at his side moved him forward, but was more gentle than Will's previous handlers. Another pirate carrying a torch placed his free hand on Will's shoulders to help herd him along and provide cautionary restraint should the blacksmith try anything.

  


"Hope we didn't hurt you too bad earlier." the pirate Pintel said conversationally. "The crew can get a bit carried away at times." 

  


Will felt the hand at his back pat him a few times. He stared downwards, focusing on the ground on which he was walking. He had seen the area where the gold was littered up ahead, and more importantly, the place where the hill of treasure topped with a stone chest stood. But Will did not need to gaze up for a second look; he'd already been here before.

  


"It was all in good fun. All you should really have to worry about now is givin' the blood to break the curse." the pirate beside him continued on. "But...no reason to fret. Just a prick of the finger, a few drops of blood–"

  


Another, harsher hand was suddenly on his shoulder, putting enough pressure to bruise. "No mistakes this time. He bleeds until the curse is broken." Will turned his head to find Twigg's menacing face pressing close to his own. The hatred in the pirate's eyes was such that he could only meet them for a moment before he was forced to look away as Twigg continued. "Then we'll have ourselves a new cabin boy, and I have every intention of seeing this rat get what he deserves." 

  


And then he was being pushed along once more. Behind him he could hear the voice of Pintel. "Guess there _is_ reason to fret."

  


Will clenched his teeth and closed his eyes, hating the feel of helplessness now more than ever. The pirates began taking their places at the front of the mountain of gold while he was made to climb it. Barbossa was already standing at the top, watching him with a small smile as he drew the stone lid from the chest and dropped it aside. The crew of the Black Pearl began to chant then, their voices growing as Will was taken closer to the chest. Barbossa was waving his hands about, urging his men louder. 

  


When Will was finally at the top and facing the crowd below, he found his eyes widening under the enormity of the situation. So many people calling for his blood, and yet he knew none of them. He had done nothing but exist to gain their hatred, which had seemed to grow every minute longer he was their captive. They wouldn't have cared if he was killed, and they were ecstatic that they would be able to torment him as long as he was their prisoner. The thought sent a wave of dread coursing through his being which settled uncomfortably in his gut.

  


Then a hand was at his neck and he was forced to bend over the chest. The many faces of the Aztec coins grinned up maliciously at him from where they lay, and he struggled for a moment to remove the hands holding him down. They held fast, and he watched with undisguised fear as Barbossa reached over and picked up the knife from amongst the coins. Blood already stained the edge of the strange blade. Elizabeth's blood. And soon his own would join it.

  


The pirate captain waved his arms around again, encouraging their continued corrupted litany. Then he held his hands up, his voice loud enough to be heard over the crew's cries.

  


"Begun by blood, by blood undone!"

  


The blacksmith's tunic and vest were stretched over his shoulders, baring his upper back and arms. Will thrashed again, but the hand on the back of his neck only tightened in warning. The blade flashed across his vision, and then he felt the cold edge against the skin of his right shoulder. It sliced in deep, and Will hissed in pain, jerking against the hands restraining him. The medallion around his neck was pulled off and pressed against his wound, which had begun to gush forth warm blood.

  


Barbossa withdrew the medallion, swinging it in front of his eyes so he and the pirates below could get a good look at the way the gold was completely bathed in his own blood. Silence suddenly reigned as the anticipation in the room became nearly palpable. Then, slowly, Barbossa released his hold on the chain and the medallion dropped to join its brothers once again. Will stared as the coin bounced once before settling, spreading droplets of red to the gold around it. Out of the corner of his eye he could see more red blossoming among the gold, and when he turned fully he realized that it was dripping down from his shoulder.

  


"And now the test." Barbossa said, reaching into his pocket and once more retrieving the apple he had brought. 

  


Will was drawn upright again, and he felt slightly weak as the blood continued to flow down his arm, sticking the sleeve of his shirt to his skin. He forced back the moans at the agony of his shoulder. If someone did not bind the wound soon, he could very well bleed to death. 

  


Through hazy vision he watched as Barbossa lifted the fruit to his mouth, the eyes of his crew below still locked onto their captain. Barbossa opened his mouth and bit into the apple, then let out a moan of ecstacy, followed by a chuckle after he swallowed.

  


"It is done!" he cried, and a round of cheers went off among the crew.

  


The pirates beside Will released him to cry out their own joy, and the blacksmith suddenly felt his legs could not support his body anymore. The reality of what was happening coupled with the blood loss and the pain he was still experiencing from his shoulder was enough to undo him. He fell to his knees, letting out a small cry as his head unexpectedly banged violently against the stone chest and sent his world into darkness. 

  
  


TBC... 

Next Chapter: Jack and Elizabeth's plan continues, Norrington realizes something, and Will gets his first taste of his new role as Barbossa's consort.

  
  
  


**NOTICE: Since FF.net decided to go crazy after I posted chapter 5, about 5 of the reviews I received got erased, so I couldn't reply to them...because I don't have them. I apologize to those people and let them know it's just FF.net screwing up again...** 

  
  


Seiko – Yes...it's an AU, and my plan was to stray from the original plotline...and I'll be straying even father in the chapters to come...ha ha. So, how'd you like Elizabeth's plan? And yes...poor Will...too bad I'm far from through with him!

  


Feckless – Torture is good...torture is good!! ::grins:: Thank you for reviewing!

  


Lady Surreal – Sorry for taking so long to update! And next chapter a lot more things will happen...but I'm gonna have to do some tweaking of that chapter because of the restrictions on FF.net...or I might just leave out parts entirely, but that wouldn't do for some people because it'd be annoying to have to go back and forth between websites...

  


Race Ulfson – Well, now you know why she wrote it backwards. "It is a necessary precaution." Ha ha...poor Jack. Will shall be going through much more "all in good pirate fun" torment, also...the unfortunate lad...::grins evilly::

  


Leap of fate – Yes, Jack is a great character...and Elizabeth _is _smart, if not a bit desperate...I based that idea of getting sick off one I did in the past...and I have one thing to say after doing it – Hot wax is HOT!! And poor Will indeed...the boy is going to get it in the next chapter...

  


ElfGirl4 – I'll try and begin updating my other stories as soon as I can, but right now the bunny gnawing on my ankle is for this story, and I might as well wring it for all it's worth before I start having to work really hard to get the chapters out...

  


Exrated – I'm glad you were able to reach the chapter! Sorry I took so long to get this one out...

  


True-Slytherin-gurl – Thank you!

  


Maikafuiniel – Ha ha...I guess you liked chapter 5, eh? I hope you liked this one too!

  


Megami Riley – Sorry for taking so long to update! Glad you liked the fic...thanks for reviewing!

  


Alisha B – It seems the people who read about Elizabeth's plan either think she's a weirdo, or extremely intelligent. Which reminds me of that scene in the movie where Will says: "This is either madness, or brains." and Jack replies, "Funny how often those two traits coincide." And of course I'll let you know when the chapters at FF.net I post are different...I think the next chapter will be the first, but I'll let you know when I post it on FF.net.

  


Pointy-Eared Archer – Ha ha...I'm afraid that probably won't be the last of the "Poor Will." comments...well, if I get so many, then I guess I'm doing my job properly!! ::grins:: I think I did get your review in an e-mail because I get Review Alerts, but I delete all of them soon after reading them so they don't take up space... And thanks for the comment on the characterizations again...I don't think anyone would be able to get inside Jack's head, however...no telling what goes on up in that mind of his... And the idea for this story...I don't really remember where it came from...It was sometime right after I saw the movie for the first time...and I thought about what would happen if I decided to write and screw everything up and put in a few characters of my own...(yes, there are Original Chars on the way, but as of now no major ones are female...except one...but she's not human anyway...ha ha...) Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter!

  


Mercuria – Don't worry – I find that more than a few of the people who review this story comment on the unexpectedness of the quality of it. It's probably mostly the fault of my summary...I'll have to try and change that one day... And yeah...I could never feminize a character if they aren't shown that way in the movie...the only OOC things I'm trying for are the slash pairings... Anyway, I'm glad that you like the story and hope that I can continue to meet up to your expectations!

  


Iblis – Done and done! ::grins:: A few flamers aren't going to torch my inspiration! Ven though I only received one...

  
  



	7. Flashbacks Before the Storm Breaks

Author's Note: I'm back!! Okay...a few things...

  


1) My E-mail:

  


My computer has been on the fritz and would not let me send e-mails. If you sent one to me I apologize for not being able to reply to it! Just know that now my e-mail is back up and running.

  


2) The Year in Which PotC Takes Place: 

  


I have seen several answers in regard to my comment on this. Some people are saying that PotC takes place in the mid to late 1700s, while others say BEFORE the 1700s. Gore Verbinski said the movie took place sometime around the 1800s. But from what I'm seeing, each of these answers would mean that the movie has at least one historical error. This is an AU story, and I may unwittingly change a few historical points in the future. For instance, it was not until after I wrote this chapter that I found when it was the practice of stitches was invented. Thankfully, it fits in with the story.

  


3) The Characters on the Dauntless:

  


Let me just warn you all now. Jack, Elizabeth, Norrington, and all those other characters who are on the Dauntless do NOT make appearances in this chapter. But do not worry! The next one will focus plenty on them. After the original Chapter 7 erased, I couldn't remember how I had written the parts with Jack and Elizabeth and Norrington, and I figured I'd withheld this chapter long enough. 

  


4) The Content of This Chapter: 

  


WARNING: Rape!!!!

  


Well, since this is FF.net, it's actually a fade-to-black sort of thing...the actual act is not written out in this version. But...this *is* FF.net, so I give a major warning.

  


**The rape part of this chapter is at Adulfanfiction.net, for those who care to read it.**

  


The beginning of this chapter is ENTIRELY FLASHBACKS OF WILL'S CHILDHOOD...he will not be thinking about them when he wakes, but he will in future chapters. This is where, in the original chapter, I had to edit out parts because I kept on making more and more flashbacks until I was basically starting to write out the entire movie from Will's point of view. (I did the scene where he goes to Norrington the morning after the attack and the one where he draws his sword on Jack on the Interceptor. I decided to save them in case I would want to use them in the future, but they too, ended up erasing...) Which sounds like a good idea that I may do in the future basing some ideas on his past with it...but I have other stories to finish first. Plus with Troy coming out in 2004...I might end up writing another story based on that, since the story of Troy is one of my all time favorites. And I'm digressing. I apologize.

  
  


5)Concerning UPDATES:

  


School has already started for me, and with that comes plenty of work. I am currently in water polo, also, and that takes up several hours of my day, as does homework. I will work on this story as much as I can, but I cannot promise I will be updating every week. Actually, it's very unlikely I shall be updating every week. But I will continue to work on this story as much as I can, I guarantee you! I will *never* abandon it. 

  


6) Just a Mini No Tears Rant:

  


Well, as you all know, the last chapter was erased, and I must say it was absolute HELL trying to rewrite it. I believe this version to be horrible compared to the original. Every scene I tried to rewrite, I do not believe any of them contain what I was proud of in the original. Especially the flashbacks. I was happy with the flashback scenes in the original, but my mind just simply could not recreate it! In my opinion, it couldn't have come at a worse chapter! But here we go! Read the chapter!

  
  
  


And special thanks to Kazren for aiding me on a few points of this chapter!! ::grins::

  


Any constructive criticism on ways to improve the chapter are greatly appreciated.

  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Indicates flashbacks. As soon as you see ********* we're back in the present.

  
  
  
  


Part 7: Flashbacks Before the Storm Breaks

  
  
  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
  
  


"What a fine young man your son is becoming!"

  


"That he is. I could not have hoped for a better child."

  


Will blushed from where he stood, nailing a few pieces of wood together. Behind him, his mother and one of the neighbor ladies named Emma were sitting on the soft grass of a hill just outside of Will's house, having a bit of lunch in the warm afternoon sun.

  


"He's a charmer, too." Emma added. "My daughter fancies him, you know."

  


"Estrella?"

  


"Yes. She speaks very highly of the boy."

  


Will moved his full concentration to the task before him. His mother would not allow him to handle a knife to shape the wood, so he had spent weeks searching for pieces that would be the best size and shape. His hunt had finally finished this morning. 

  


"What is it you've got there, William?" Emma asked, leaning over to get a better look at what he held in his hands.

  


Moving his creation so both ladies could get a clear view of it, he raised his head proudly. "A sword."

  


"A sword?" Emma asked with a laugh. "Going to fight pirates, are you?"

  


Will's mother made a barely noticeable flinching motion as she laughed weakly along with her friend, but the boy was not surprised by it. His mother always became nervous when the topic of pirates came up.

  


"Yes." he confirmed. "I'm going to protect mother from them."

  


"Is that so?" Emma chuckled, turning to his mother. "A wonderful boy, to be sure."

  


"He is." Will's mother agreed.

  


"Quiet and shy. A bit clumsy at times, but a wonderful boy."

  


Will bristled in indignation at the words, but his mother had taught him to hold his tongue at times like this and he did so with near perfection now, pretending he did not even hear the words spoken as he began to put away the few tools he had used.

  


"My William's not clumsy." his mother protested softly, smiling warmly at him as he glanced over. Will beamed. "He merely has a habit of touching items of curiosity."

  


Emma snorted. "Indeed. Do you remember the day the poor dear ran home screaming because he was being chased by a goat..."

  


Will's cheeks reddened and he decided that was his cue to leave. Turning, he headed up to an old barn that stood on a hill by his house to practice with his new wooden sword, leaving the two women to their gossip.

  
  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
  


"Quickly, now, William!"

  


Confusion settled over the boy as he met his mother's urgent eyes when she grasped his hand. What had happened to make the fear so evident on his mother's face? What was going on?

  


"To the barn!" she cried. "We must go!"

  


She began pulling him through the back door of the house and broke into a quick jog, one hand holding up her dress so it wouldn't get tangled in her legs. Behind them, dusk was beginning to settle over, and in the distance he could hear a strange booming. Determinedly, Will kept the pace of his mother's legs, watching her long brown hair sway behind her as she hurried up the hill that led to the old barn.

  


As soon as they reached it his mother pulled him inside, taking him over to the farthest corner and kneeling down before him. She took both of his hands in her own, her brown eyes staring into his.

  


"Mother, you're getting your dress dirty." the boy pointed out with an arch of his left eyebrow, an action she always said he had inherited from his father.

  


A small smile lit his mother's lips, but quickly disappeared when the sound of yelling came from the distance. She whirled her head around, her breath quickening as she gazed at the entrance to the barn. 

  


"You've invited visitors, mother?" Will asked as he followed her gaze.

  


Turning back to him, Will's mother squeezed his hands to gather his attention. "Will, darling, I need you to do something for me."

  


Will's eyes showed his confusion, but he nodded. He would do anything for his mother.

  


"We're going to play a game of hide and seek. I want you to hide in here."

  


"But you've always told me to not play games outside after dark." Will replied.

  


"I'm making an exception this time." she said in a hurry. "Stay here and hide in the dark. If anyone comes to look for you, do not come out."

  


"How long shall I hide, mother?" Will asked.

  


"For as long as you need." There was a loud crash from outside that made both his mother and him jump, but she continued without turning this time. "You _must _not come out before then, no matter what happens. William...do you have the medallion your father sent you?"

  


Will nodded. Of course he had it. He had almost never taken the necklace off ever since his mother had brought it over his head. The boy began to reach up to take the trinket out to show her, but his mother appeared to not want to waste any time and simply squeezed his hands tighter.

  


"Good. Keep it in your shirt so that the moonlight does not reflect off of it and reveal your hiding place."

  


"Are you going to hide too, mother?" Will asked, still confused about this game she was trying to get him to play. It seemed such a strange thing. He had never hidden in such a place after dark and had never played a game where he was not aware of who the other players were.

  


Something passed through his mother's voice when she again spoke, something he could not identify. "Yes, I shall. Now, do you remember what I told you to do?"

  


"You want me to stay here and hide for as long as I need. And before that do not come out for any reason."

  


His mother smiled, then there was a rustle as she moved herself closer to him. "I love you, William." she said as she wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace.

  


"I love you too, mother." Will said, returning the hug even as he felt more confusion crowd his mind.

  


His mother drew back, then brought her forehead forward and pressed it against his own. It was a gesture that his mother had done with him for as long as he could remember. The intimate contact and feeling of warmth as their foreheads met gave both of them a feeling of comfort in the knowledge that their love towards each other was unconditional. But why did she decide to do it now?

  


Slowly, his mother withdrew, pressing a kiss upon his brow and then standing to creep to the entrance of the barn. He saw her gaze around when she reached the opening – most likely to see if the seekers were around – and then she carefully moved around the barn and out of his sight.

  


Will couldn't tell how long he was there, sitting against the wall of the barn in a dark corner, listening to the sounds outside. A few times he had seen an owl cross into the rafters of the barn, but it would always leave again soon after. He saw nothing else.

  


Suddenly the commotion outside grew, and Will could make out laughter somewhere down by his house. Whoever was out there seemed to be having way more fun than he was in here. The laughs rose louder, and then he heard a scream. The sound made Will's eyes go wide as he moved to his feet. He would recognize his mother's voice anywhere, and it sounded like she was hurting. His first instinct was to run to her to help, but then he remembered his mother's words.

  


_"You _must _not come out before then, no matter what happens."_

  


William was a boy who always listened to mother, and he could count on one hand the number of times he'd actively disobeyed her in this lifetime. It wasn't like him to change on the dot, and two voices began warring in his head, one yelling at him and telling him to go out and help his mother, and the other his mother's voice, telling him to stay in the barn no matter what. 

  


Tears began trickle from his eyes as he heard another scream. Something was happening outside. Something bad. But how could he ignore his mother's authority? 

  


Letting out a despaired sob, he sank back down against the wall and pressed against it, drawing his knees up to his chest and burying his head in his arms. His shoulders shook as he cried, trying to block out the sounds of the screams outside.

  


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

  
  


A great squawk jolted Will awake. He looked around wildly before realizing that it was only a rooster, then relaxed as he blearily blinked and looked around. As he took in his surroundings he became confused. Why was he in the barn? Memory rushed back to him in a flash. The sun setting... hurrying to the barn... darkness... the medallion... the screams... his mother! He had somehow fallen asleep during the night!

  


Will instantly surged to his feet, running to the entrance of the barn and nearly stumbling in his haste to get down the hill towards his house. The boy stopped dead in his tracks when he took in the horrible sight in the light of the dawn.

  


The house was completely charred. Windows were shattered, and all manner of furniture lay strewn about. An old tree stood burned of its leaves, standing like a black crucifix against the reddening sky. Several people were standing on the road before the house, but Will did not see his mother among them. 

  


His heart pounding, the boy sprinted the rest of the way to the house, and hurried through the back door, which had been ripped off its hinges. Will's eyes widened as he gazed at walls which had been broken through, tables overturned, food and valuables missing. He searched for his mother through the mess, his heart brimming with hope each time he came to a new room, and then feeling that hope shattered when there was no sign of her. His own room was demolished as well, and it appeared that no one drawer had escaped scrutiny. Will called out to his mother a few times, thinking that maybe she was hiding, but was met with only silence. Moving back to the front of the house, he found that the small fireplace inside had been smashed in. Above it hung a painting, slashed to shreds that barely clung to the frame. It had been a portrait of his family, painted years ago, when he was much younger. Three people had been drawn onto the surface: himself, his mother, and his father. His father had been the one to pay for it's creation. It was the only reminder of his father he owned, save for the medallion which he now clutched to his breast.

  


After a long while of staring at the ruined painting, he finally left the house, knowing his mother was not inside and hoping to find her standing on the streets along with the crowd. Voices lifted to his ears as he moved among them, no one noticing the small boy who filtered through their midst. He eventually saw a group of people staring down at something. Emma was among them. His heart lifted; if anyone knew where his mother was, it would be her.

  


He began jogging forward, and gasped when his foot stepped on something unsteady and gave his ankle a painful twist. Looking down to see what had caused it, he found his wooden sword lying beneath his feet. He bent down and picked it up, then continued towards the circle of people. As he neared he caught snatches of conversation.

  


"What's to happen to young William?"

  


"No one's seen or heard from him since the attack. They either took him, or left his body somewhere where no one has yet found it."

  


"The poor dear."

  


Will was about to call out to tell them that he was right there and perfectly well, when he heard someone speak something that made his fears, previously calmed, escalate higher than before.

  


"It's such a shame. She deserved better than a husband who was never there for her."

  


Will may have been young, but he did not consider himself a fool, and he could tell what those words implied. His heart pumping hard, he began to worm his way through the bodies of the circle. He had to see what it was they were looking at.

  


"William!" Emma cried as she spotted him.

  


"Someone stop him! He must not see!"

  


But it was too late, Will had already breeched the adults and made the final squeeze to the center. The image that was before him seemed to stop his heart cold in his chest.

  


His mother lay on the ground just a few feet away, her brown eyes unseeing even as they were directed at him. Her brown hair was set in disarray around her head, patches of the long locks looking to have been torn from her fair scalp. Her lips, once carrying such a rosy hue, were now colorless. The dress he had seen her in just the night before was in tatters around her, and every inch of her skin was decorated in bruises and cuts. 

  


In shock, Will dropped his wooden sword and fell to his knees beside her lifeless body. The world around him disappeared as he moved his arms under her neck and head, lifting them close. The limpness of her body sent a shiver down his spine and he had to struggle not to drop it. .

  


"Mother..." he sobbed, hugging her close. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be dead...she couldn't...

  


In one final act of denial, he brought his forehead to his mother's, as he had so many times before. But what he felt in return was not the comforting warmth he was used to. The skin was cold, horribly so. When he brought his hand up to touch her temple, he could not feel her strong pulse beating from beneath the skin. "Mother..." he said again, as if the word would be enough to draw her from the eternal sleep in which she lay.

  


Tears began to stream down his face. This was all his fault. Had it not been just a few months ago that he had promised to protect her? And now she was dead, because he had to have the conscience to follow the rules instead of rush out to save her. He had been cowardly, even.

  


A hand came to rest on his shoulder, bringing him back to see the people around him. A man who he recognized as Emma's husband stood over him, smiling sadly. "Come on, son." he said. "There's nothing you can do for her now."

_"There's nothing you can do for her now."_

  


The words echoed in his mind over and over again as he stared up at the man blankly, the denial fading as he was hit with the reality of it all. They were going to make him leave her.

  


_"There's nothing you can do for her now."_

  


He clung to her limp body even more tightly. "No."

  


"William, you must come." another voice came, this one more firm.

  


The boy shook his head as the tears continued to flow, ignoring them once more even as they continued to tell him he had to leave. Someone came and gripped his arms, prying his hands from his mother's form. "No!" he wailed as he fought to return to his mother. The people holding him did not hearken his words as they pulled him farther and farther away from the most important person in his life. "Please, no! Don't make me leave her! Please! NO! DON'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME!!"

  


"Such a shame." one of the men above him said, shaking his head as Will collapsed into helpless sobs. "Such a shame."

  


**********

  
  


The first thing that insinuated itself into Will's muddled brain as he was pulled towards consciousness was that his shoulder hurt. A lot. His left temple also throbbed, but his notice of that pain was quite small compared to that of his arm. The blacksmith's body was nearly entirely covered in a cold sweat, and he shivered as he felt chilled air run over him. There were also voices around, harsh voices that made him want to cover his ears. When they grew even louder he attempted to do this, only to find that his arms would not move.

  


The hurt in his shoulder suddenly burst into blazing agony and he arched off of the cold surface of whatever he lay on. The blacksmith cried out, finding that his mouth would not move properly when the sound came out garbled. 

  


"Hold him, lads!"

  


The familiar voice was enough to bring him into full wakefulness, and he opened his eyes to take in his situation. He quickly wished he hadn't.

The leering faces of several pirates hung over him, and their gripping hands were holding his arms and legs down on a wooden table. Even more came to press down upon his chest, which he then realized was bare. A thick cloth had also been tied into his mouth, muffling his cries. He bit down hard on it and strained against the pirates' hands as his shoulder once again erupted in fiery pain. They were torturing him, he was sure. It felt like someone was poking him repeatedly with a dagger, and as he turned to look he found this wasn't far from the truth.

  


Barbossa was leaning over his shoulder, which sported a rather nasty looking wound. The pirate captain held a thread and needle in his hand, his concentration focused on the blacksmith's arm which was damp with some sort of stinging fluid. Even as Will looked on the pirate pierced his skin on one side of the slash mark and began pressing the needle through. Gasping around the gag, the blacksmith stiffened as he awaited the end to the pain. Barbossa met his eyes and smiled as he pulled the needle all the way through, then shoved it back in more violently than necessary. Will could not hold back his cry as he pulled against the grips of the pirates around him. When it was over he went limp on the table, groaning in misery even as he continued to take in gulps of air.

  


"Now, now, William," Barbossa admonished, "this is for your own good. Come now, what would yer father think if he knew his son couldn't take a bit of pain?"

  


Will stared at Barbossa incredulously. A bit of pain?! From the agony spreading in his arm he could tell they had given him little or nothing to stem his distress. Not that they would have probably wanted to, since they clearly enjoyed seeing him tormented. Grinding his teeth on the cloth in his mouth and shutting his eyes tightly, he tried to focus and get the level of pain under control. But the attempt proved useless and once more he was thrashing weakly on the table as the needle was again pushed through his skin. 

  


It seemed like an eternity to Will, but it was only a few minutes later that he realized that Barbossa had stopped. Opening his eyes, which had begun to water, he watched the pirate captain bring a cloth to his wound and carefully rub off the blood that had welled up. Even though his touch was gentler so as to not tear the stitches, Will could not help but hiss at the contact. Barbossa's blue eyes trailed up to his and the pirate captain smiled.

  


The blacksmith watched as Barbossa reached over and brought a cup over his shoulder, preparing to pour some liquid on it. The sharp odor of the drink reached him through his pain and clouded thoughts, and he braced himself._ This is going to hurt._

The liquid splashed over his wound, cool, and even a bit soothing. Then it flared in agony and a wildfire of hurt spread through the wound. Will shrieked, twisting, trying anything that would stop the pain. The pirates kept him firmly restrained, their cruel laughter reaching him through his bout of agony. Eventually the pain subsided somewhat, leaving him exhausted and trembling as more sweat broke out on his body. His breathing came in hitched gasps laced with whimpers as the room began to spin around him, dizziness taking over. Barbossa began running something over his sewn up wound to dry it.

  


"All done, son." Barbossa said, reaching over to stroke the blacksmith's forehead. Will gave a choked sob and flinched away from the touch, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. "You've been gone for a while, now. I must say, the crew's quite pleased."

  


Will's brow furrowed as his mind struggled to process what was said. _Pleased with what? Surely they can't have broken the curse... _The blacksmith wracked his brain to try and recall the events that had happened before he had blacked out. He was rewarded with a small flash of the caves from his memory, but anything more than that he could not find.

  


"They've all had their fill of food and drink." Barbossa continued as he began tying a cloth over the now dry and clean stitches. He looked at Will and smiled, his blue eyes sparkling. "Yes, boy," he said as if reading Will's mind, "the curse has been lifted. There's just one more thing we'll be needin' to be completely satisfied. But I'm sorry to say that we cannot wait for it any longer."

  


Will's eyes widened in alarm as he realized Barbossa's meaning. Looking pleadingly up at the pirate captain, he began to shake his head in negation. 

  


Barbossa's answering smile cut through his heart like a spear. "I'm afraid that it's not for ye to be decidin'." He looked up at the other pirates. "Get him on the bed."

  


The hands holding him were suddenly pulling him from the table and setting him on his feet. Will fought against them as they began dragging him over to a bed, but he was too weak and soon felt dizziness overtake him, making his legs buckle. He slumped against them, and in response they lifted him from the floor and carried him the rest of the short way to the mattress. They threw him onto the bed, and he lay still for but a moment before managing to somewhat collect himself. The blacksmith eyed his captors desperately, then frantically tried to get off the bed to bolt away. He was caught by the arms before he could get far and was flung back on the bed. 

  


Hands were pinning him down before he could rise, from at least six pirates, but Will could not count more as their leering faces closed in on his frightened one. His arms were wrenched upwards and his legs were held about two feet above the bed as thick rope began to slide over his wrists and ankles. Adrenaline pumped furiously through his veins as he struggled, but blood loss had made him weak and he froze as he felt sharp pain lance through his recently sewn shoulder. He was going to have to be careful to not tear the sutures.

  


Will was bound spread eagle with his legs angling upwards and off of the bed. His chest heaved as he drew in great breaths of air, then moaned as his vision swam once more, complimenting the ache in his head which had decided to return. He was dimly aware of Barbossa approaching, and Will's eyes became luminous as the older man came into his sight.

  


The pirate captain stood over him, his eyes drinking in the vision of the blacksmith spread and tied. Will could see the hunger in the gaze and shuddered in revulsion, his heart beating rapidly within his breast. A hand reached down and undid the cloth around his head, freeing his tender mouth.

  


"D-Do not do this." Will said as soon as he was able.

  


Barbossa raised his eyebrows. "Now why would I have made the deal to involve you bein' me consort if for no other reason than this? There'd be no point to it, lad."

  


"You cannot take me against my will," the blacksmith insisted slowly, though with a despairing heart realized he would get no mercy from Barbossa.

  


The pirate captain smiled. "Oh, I think you'll be discoverin' that I can very well do anythin' I be wantin' with or without your consent." He turned to the other pirates. "Remove his pants."

  


Will's hands clenched into fists above his bonds as a knife was run through his trousers, and then they were torn from him completely. Hoots and lewd comments of appreciation filled his ears as he laid fully bare before his captors. Will had never felt so vulnerable or exposed in his life, and he pulled at the ropes around his wrists in a futile effort to bring his hands down to cover himself.

  


Barbossa began running a hand down Will's chest, the fingers leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. Shuddering again, Will turned his head and buried it in his arm. The pirate captain suddenly reached out and grabbed his hair, pulling his face about and making the blacksmith cry out from the sharp pain. 

  


When he looked upon Barbossa's face he found that the smile had been replaced by a snarl, the captain's eyes narrowed into slits as he put the full force of his gaze onto the helpless blacksmith. "Ye will watch." he growled. "And ye will watch every bit. Close your eyes, and I'll be bringin' a knife into it." Barbossa turned to another pirate behind him. "Grapple, c'mere and hold his head."

  


Grapple gleefully carried out his captain's bidding, reaching out and holding Will's head immobile and facing forward. Fear coursing through him, Will realized for the first time the true danger of this situation, and what he'd agreed to. Barbossa was about to strip him of something he could never gain back, and the pirate was going to enjoy subjecting Will to being forced to these acts of impurity repeatedly. The thought made Will want more than ever to close his eyes or turn his head away, but with the pirate's hold on his head and Barbossa's threat he could do neither. 

  


Will's eyes glanced over the other pirates around him, and with a sickening feeling he realized that they were to witness his defilement. Barbossa's hand was running down his stomach, now, steadily sliding lower and lower towards his nether regions.

  


When the pirate's hand was but an inch from its intended target Will gasped out, "I did n-not agree to this."

  


The words had the desired effect. Barbossa's hand paused as the pirate himself looked up at Will, who cringed to see the fury in the gaze. "What?"

  


"I did not agree to this." Will repeated more strongly, his eyes indicating the pirates around the bed. As he continued he had to pause to gasp in air that never seemed to sate his body. "Them being here...was not a part of our bargain." Barbossa had to grant him at least this much.

  


Barbossa glanced around at his men. "Oh, them." He turned back to Will. "Sorry, lad. All part o' bein' the cabin boy."

  


Will's brow furrowed at the words and his heart sank, knowing that there was nothing he could do but prepare himself for the hours to come.

  


********

  
  


Outside of the captain's cabin, the rest of Barbossa's crew that had been unfortunate enough to be left out of the proceedings were all feeling greatly pleased. Some had, in their greed to fill themselves, ended up making themselves sick from eating and drinking so much. Said pirates had been berated furiously by Bo'sun, who, much to his displeasure, had been ordered by Barbossa to stay out and watch the rest of the crew. The first mate was almost wildly seething as he walked about, shouting orders and insults at the other men.

  


Several of the pirates suddenly jumped in surprise as a loud scream tore through the air, its origin coming from the captain's cabin. After the initial reaction, the pirates of the Black Pearl began laughing and murmuring amongst themselves about how they wished they could be inside to witness the events.

  


Pintel winced in false sympathy as another, weaker scream rose. Leaning over to Ragetti, he snickered. "Told you there was reason to fret." 

  
  
  


TBC...

  
  


Next Chapter: Elizabeth, Jack, and Norrington hop back into the picture as they reach Tortuga. As certain problems are solved, even more arise, and Jack runs into someone from his past who he'd really rather forget. 

  


I seem to have run out of time for replying to reviews. I'm sorry – I promise to reply to them next chapter! Unless of course something else comes up... ::shakes head::


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